Truth
by MisatoKitty
Summary: Ranma needs a job to pay for damages to the Tendo dojo.. he didn't think his life could get much worse than it already was...
1. Default Chapter

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff. Existing characters are properties of the people who made them up. Mitsuki, and several other characters are mine, and so's the story, hence ownership and copyright of them belongs to me. Contact me at domino@linksnet.nu if you want permission to use anything I've written for whatnot purposes.

TRUTH

by

Raymond Cooper

Prologue

** NEMESIS **

TEN YEARS AGO:

Ranma Saotome walked in front of his father, on a big adventure. They had only left home, oh, a year or two earlier? Ranma couldn't tell. He'd since had two birthdays, though, and was growing up fast.

For him, this was a big adventure. That was something... something cool, to little Ranma. Him and his father were *always* off somewhere exciting, and usually pretty damned quickly, too. In fact, Ranma and his father often held races with locals of places they'd stayed in. Genma had quickly impressed on his son just how important it was they won these races, and Ranma agreed. Losing wasn't good.

But he couldn't quite figure out why, often, the other competitors in these races had pitchforks and other similar implements above their heads, waving them around in such a strange manner.

That was all above Ranma's head, though, so he didn't worry. For now, this was exciting. Still in Japan, they had carried out training exercises in about ten towns and villages now. Ranma knew that, because he'd run out of fingers to count places on then, and he was still counting on that tenth finger.

Counting toes had never occurred to him.

The farmstead they were approaching now was typical of a small holding on the mainland. Small cottage, a barn out the back, wooden fences. Sheep and cattle roamed in several small paddocks that led to the edge of a low-lying mountain range.

"Ranma, my boy," Genma started, as he always did. "I trained at this place a long time ago. When I was a boy your age. And I learnt some very good moves from this man... who will be training you for a time."

Ranma nodded attentively as they walked up to the front door. Inside, there was silence.

Until a scream rent the air, and the side of the cottage blew out.

Genma gaped and blinked his eyes, not believing what he was seeing. And then a frightened man crawled out, hands over his head.

From inside the cottage, there was a yell. "I am *NOT* eating my beans!" came a little girl's voice. The man crawled up to Genma rapidly, and grabbed his gi.

"Help me!" the man begged. "I can't control her!"

Ranma wondered at this. There wasn't nothing his pop couldn't handle. He knew that. But it would be interesting to see how his father handled this one.

"Matsuda?" Genma asked, his voice catching. What could bring his friend so low?

"You've got to help me!" the man repeated. "She's been like this since her mother died!"

"Megumi is dead?" Genma boggled. If this was indeed his old friend, and his wife had indeed died... oh dear. That well-cooked meal he was looking forward to evaporated before his eyes. But... "Beans?" he asked hopefully.

"Stop my daughter! And you can have anything! Anything!"

That was a challenge that Genma would happily accept. He stepped into the cottage.

There was silence.

The man stood up, cautiously. "I think your father -"

There was a small puff from the roof, and several sections of the thatch fell to the ground while Genma rocketed away.

"- failed," the man, Matsuda, completed dismally.

Ranma wondered at this. What could cause so much damage? And he stepped into the cottage himself, nimbly avoiding the older man's clutching fingers. He heard Matsuda moan from outside, something about his friend killing him for sending his son in to die, but he wasn't sure.

It took a moment for Ranma's eyes to adjust to the light. Inside, the small house was a mess. There were no interior dividing walls; instead it was a more traditional paper-and-wood wall divider set that sectioned off small parts for sleeping areas and eating areas.

And in the eating area, standing before a small table with two plates on it, was a very angry-looking girl of a little older than Ranma's age. She was dressed similar to Ranma, in a white training gi, but cut in a more kimono-style manner. Obviously some concession made to appearing to be a normal female for someone, Ranma thought, but that was as far as she was willing to go - besides her lovely long purple hair, that is.

The colouring of it looked kind of nice.

At the sight of the small boy peering at her, she stopped, lowered her fists to her sides, and forced her hands to relax. "Who are you?"

"I'm Ranma Saotome," Ranma replied. "My pop and I are supposed to be staying here for training."

"Oh." The girl looked thoughtful. Then: "You didn't ask me my name."

"You'll tell me another time."

The cheerfulness in the voice and on the boy's face stopped the girl from questioning that. But still... how did he know? Did he fortell the future? Like that other girl had? She shook her head. "If you're here for training... you've come at a bad time. But... c'mon, let's go for a walk."

She led the boy out of the house, past the man who was obviously her father (and currently cowering behind a small wheelbarrow) and past Genma, who incredibly quickly took up method acting as pertains to being a tree. She led the way to a nearby stream in even nearer woods, where she sat on the bank, near a willow tree that had leaned over and into the water partly. She was silent for this time, and the boy sat down next to her.

"You're young, aren't you?" she asked.

"Yeah!"

"How old are you?"

"I'm seven! No, I'm eight!" And he quickly launched into a discussion of the rice cakes he'd had for his birthday before leaving on another race with his father and half the town behind them.

The girl smiled, despite herself. This boy strangely made her feel comfortable, something she hadn't felt in a good six months now. "I'm eleven," she confided quietly. "And..."

"And?"

How best to say this?

"Don't... rely on others, okay, Ranma? They only hurt you in the end. They use you. They leave you. They don't come back. And you pay for it." She sighs, looks towards the willow, gently bowing in the stream. She could feel her anger still, burning inside. But this boy... he was too young to really understand, and so she didn't take it out on him. Nor did she let him know of its existance. But she realised that, somehow, Ranma knew more about how she felt than he was letting on. Those big, bright, cheerfully happy eyes latched onto her face told her that. "Do you understand that?"

"Teach myself, you mean."

Nodding, she continued. "That way, you don't get hurt. Don't rely on your father. Don't rely on your... mother." Ranma noticed the quarter second hesitation, and the flicker in her eyes. "Don't rely on anyone, okay, Ranma?"

"I'll rely on myself."

She nodded again, and smiled. That was good. "That's exactly right." She stood up again, needing to be somewhere. The woman had told her she had a big part to play in the future, but... she needed something to do *now*. Something that would absorb her anger. Something needed punching, kicking, slapping, pinching.

But on impulse, she bent down and kissed a very surprised Ranma Saotome on the cheek before disappearing into the woods.

The boy continued to sit by the stream for some time. The afternoon passed quickly, and he found he had fallen into a meditative trance for some of that period. He realised this when he heard his father, calling for him in the distance. He stood up, brushed his gi off, and gave the direction the girl had disappeared off in a glance. No sign of her - but she was able to look after herself, Ranma was sure of that. So he headed back to the cottage.

Strangely enough, it had been repaired already, and it was dinner time. Genma looked at his son sternly - or as sternly as he could through two rice cakes and sushi rolls. "Boy! Where have you been?"

Ranma looked at his father, and saw, not quite the authority figure he'd seen earlier. No. Now he saw a man. His father. Who was quite possibly capable of making mistakes or failings, same as any other man. Was this what the girl had meant about relying on only himself? That relying on his father... could get him in trouble? Make him as violent as she seemed to be... as powerful?

He didn't know.

That night, sleeping outside in his sleeping bag, next to his father, he woke.

He didn't know what it was that woke him... the fire they were sleeping next to had lowered down to glowing embers and the occasional lick of flame towards the sky.

There was some kind of presence here, a third person. Not the girl from earlier, either.

He rolled over, slowly, so as not to scare whatever was there behind him. His eyes remained mostly shut, only slivers open, allowing him to see through his eyelashes, still snoring and pretending to be asleep.

Ranma saw a woman. His first thought was the green-haired one had to be cold - after all, that little sailor-girl school uniform outfit had a *really* short skirt, and her top wasn't bulky enough to offer much protection from the cold. There seemed to be a smile on her lips, though.

"Ranma Saotome," she whispered, to herself. "You do not know yet how important you are to the future."

She stood up straight, then, giving Ranma a generous view. Then disappeared from Ranma's sight at the same time a small strobe light seemed to go off somewhere near Ranma. He sat up, all pretence at sleep gone - and she was gone.

But he could still feel eyes. Eyes, watching.

******

From the treeline, eyes watched. The girl had seen her magical woman appear once more, to Ranma this time. Something about him...

But she didn't have the time now. She'd done something really bad, and she had to go.

Go now, far away, where she couldn't do any more bad things.

Right now.

She turned on her heels, and scampered back into the forest, a single tear rolling unbidden down her cheek. Upon feeling that, she raised a hand, and callously wiped it off. That would be her last tear, that she swore.

TO BE CONTINUED...

SAILOR MOON SAYS:

Okay. This wasn't the part I originally envisaged... but heck. I had to start somewhere, eh? I admit right now, my knowledge of Ranma is from the dub - hence most of my canonicity will be from what I remember of the first three seasons. My Sailor Moon knowledge is even more limited - but at least I know Love Hina fairly well, and have some good references from there ;)

However, Love Hina is the weakest link in this series. It's the basic setup from it... boy takes over an all-girls' dorm as manager, falls for one girl, gets harangued by all of them. Well, maybe falls for one. Yeah, this will be partly OOC for established characters (particularly those I haven't known too well) but I hope that, above all, this series is fun!

If not, what's the point in writing it?

Far as I'm aware, this is an original idea. Least, I haven't read it anywhere. I know a lot of people seem to introduce a new senshi, but I haven't read them, and hence don't know which way most fan fic authors tend to go in that respect... I hope my new senshi... well, meets the grade. As well, I'll prolly be dropping between senshi, sailor senshi and sailor scouts in descriptive terms... but trying to use the Japanese names over the DiC dub's.

Anyways, comments and criticisms? Anyone wanna review me? I like nice words and stuff... they make me write more :) (yeah, and so do bad words... least I know then someone's reading my things!)


	2. Truth - Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff. Existing characters are properties of the people who made them up. Mitsuki, and several other characters are mine, and so's the story, hence ownership and copyright of them belongs to me. Contact me at domino@linksnet.nu if you want permission to use anything I've written for whatnot purposes.

NOTE: While mostly action/adventure with a light sprinkling of comedy, occasionally Truth will get a little gory, and adult in terms of situations, statements, etc. This chapter has a small amount of gore. Read at your own risk.

TRUTH

by

Raymond Cooper

Chapter 1

** THE JOB ***

"Boy! You're going to have to go pay for that wall now!"

Ranma could still hear his father's words echoing in his head as he trudged away from the Tendo dojo and house. Paying for the wall. It wasn't that bad, was it? Even though it was his father who'd broken it, smashed it into tiny little pieces, really, surely it wasn't that big a deal, and thusly couldn't cost quite so much.

He turned back for a moment, and checked. His face fell as he saw the entire southern section of the dojo, now existing only as rubble. The dojo's wall, the yard's wall. And all because his father... gah. Trying to teach Ranma how to combine multiple techniques into a devastating killer combo, but not letting Ranma, who knew how to use the attacks properly, and control them, Genma had attempted to do several himself. And it turned out that Genma combining the katsu tenshin amagurriken and the mouko takabisha was *not* such a good idea.

Because only Ranma was supposed to be able to do the katsu tenshin amagurriken, Ranma had been the one Genma blamed the devastation on. Hence, Soun Tendo had told him he would have to pay that back himself. And Ranma knew it wouldn't be a good idea to ask Nabiki for money... not this amount, not this time.

And so, Ranma Saotome decided he needed a job.

Maybe he could get away from his fiances? Maybe he could get away from the entire Tendo family (although Kasumi was nice, he had to admit)? Maybe he could find a place Ryoga wouldn't find him, that the Kunos wouldn't fight over his hand, that his curse might not bother him either.

Because his curse... well, it was quite embarrassing. He turned into a girl when he got wet in cold water, changed back to his male form when in splashed with hot water. No big deal. Well, after all this time, he was getting used to it. And it could be fun sometimes. Like free ice cream. His stomach grumbled in sympathy, and he was tempted to go off and get some free ice cream, but... no. He had to find a job.

And what did he have on him? A small bag, with some clothes stuffed in it, a few lunches Kasumi had, thoughtful as always, packed for him, and maybe a thousand yen that had appeared in his pockets strangely after Nabiki hugged him and given him a knowing look. He also had a bruise on his cheek, from Akane. The yen, he tried not to think about, not knowing if he was expected to pay it back - but knowing Nabiki, he would, with interest.

The road took him further south, until he was in a small prefecture on the outskirts of Tokyo. There were mountains here... well, little more than tall hills. If you wanted *real* mountains, then go to China, Ranma thought with a snort. He'd ran up enough of them there, and down them again, either being cased by, or chasing, his pop. But there seemed to be a rail line from here into the city, and a reasonable-sized suburban area, with shops, and... stairs leading up the side of one of the hills. Ranma cocked his head, eh, it was worth seeing what was up there, he guessed. At the very least, he'd be able to see the land around here a good deal further than he could at ground level.

So he began to climb, running up the stairs two at a time. About half way up, for a change, he leapt up onto the hand rail, and began running up that way. He reached the top within a few minutes, not even partly out of breath. That's good, he thought, least his fitness level's still okay.

At the top was a single property, decently sized. It looked as if it had seen better days, weatherworn roof, faded paint on the walls, rotten wood in some places. It didn't look like it could support human life, but there was an old woman out the front, sweeping dust with a straw broom away from the front doors.

She looked up at Ranma's approach, and smiled. That freaked Ranma out - after all, she did strongly resemble Cologne, and that was scary enough. "Hello, son!" the woman called out. Ranma flinched - to an extent, she even *sounded* and *spoke* like the old Amazon hag in Nerima...

"Uh... hi!" he called back, walking up towards her, looking around with interest. Maybe he could get a better view from the top of the building...? But it wasn't good manners to leap directly up to someone's roof, so Ranma was about to ask first, when she cut him off.

"Are you here to apply for the job?"

"Job?" Ranma echoed, dumbly.

"My, yes." The woman turned to face the building, which Ranma noticed for the first time had the words Ai Sou engraved into a wooden name plate above the door. The Love Inn? Er... yeah. The old woman continued. "This is an old dormatory, opened a century ago. Alas, it has seen better days. And it needs some love and care. I am too old to continue working here, and have tickets to fly overseas for some sun and sand."

That was a frightening thought. Ranma made a mental note to stay away from beaches.

The old woman continued. "I need a manager to take over the running of the dorm for me, for this year's Tokyo University entrants, and to act as a caretaker, fixing up the building to something that doesn't look as if it is about to collapse." She sighed. "I advertised for a strapping young man, capable in construction, to take care of the inn for me."

Well, Ranma had often participated in the reconstructions of the Tendo's home from its numerous beatings - mostly at his father's, or the Tendo patriarch's insistance, or even just to score some yen to pay Nabiki back for whatever money he had outstanding at the time. He gave the building another look, and decided he could do it.

"There will be money left for the materials, and the pay is decent, rent and food are free," the woman added nervously.

"I'll take it," Ranma said, confidently.

One instant, the woman was there, the next she wasn't. And the next again, she was, dressed in a floral-print dress with a big, wide straw hat and several suitcases. "You'll find the students who will be staying here should be turning up tomorrow. Feel free to use the men's hot springs whenever. There will be seven of them. But watch a couple of these girls... they seem... weird."

"G... g... girls?" Ranma asked, feeling icicles trickle up and down his back. He thought he'd get away from... oh well. He didn't think any would be his fiances, so that could work out okay. Unless there was more his pop wasn't telling him about... He banished that thought from his head. Wait - you said -"

But the old woman was already gone. Ranma was left, standing by the door, with a key in his hand. He stared at the receeding dustcloud as it vanished down the stairs... then shrugged. He could handle girls. That's one thing his fiances had taught him. He headed inside, to start the work of getting the inn up to livable standards before the students arrived.

******

In the small (but bustling) hospital, on the other side of the prefecture, a new life was about to come into the world. The woman, soon to be a mother, had her legs up in stirrups, and was practising the breathing the nice doctor had proscribed. The pains of contractions were coming closer together now, and the doctor hovered over the end of her covered in the sheet.

Oh, there was another contraction. But the gas one of the kind nurses was giving her was very nice, and she was drifti. n.. g...

"She's out, doctor," the nurse said, not looking down.

Which was a good thing, because the doctor had in his hands a smallish crystal, glowing black in a way that appeared most evil, not least of which because it wasn't supposed to be possible for something to glow black. The crystal exuded something, and the doctor had it posed, ready, waiting.

And there was the head. Before the nose cleared the mother, the doctor's hand darted forward, the crystal flaring momentarily before sinking into the soft skull of the baby, which jerked like a puppet with its strings cut. Then the nose cleared, and the baby slithered into his waiting hands.

It didn't move.

The doctor was expecting this, and sighed theatrically. "Child is stillborn. Take him to the morgue, awaiting disposal."

The nurse blinked. That wasn't standard procedure, not in this hospital, at any rate (although she'd heard some of the hospitals in metropolitan Tokyo just cremated stillborns because they had no room). But she nodded, used to doctors knowing best, took the baby and wrapped it in a sheet, took it out and headed for the service elevator.

The lift doors closed behind her, and she pressed the basement button. It would drop her down towards the level the morgue was housed in, and there she would traverse two corridors. She looked down at the bundle in her arms, feeling sorry for it. And even more so for the mother. Professional detachment was something that Umiko Hayasagawa had yet to learn, only having been working in the hospital for a few months since leaving training. Several of the nurses she had trained with had that detachment already... but Umiko didn't.

The bundle moved.

Nurse Hayasagawa stopped, and looked down at it. It was alive? Maybe the doctor was wrong! She reached for the button to stop the elevator, and return it to the doctor, in the delivery room. But as she did so, the mass of the bundle doubled, and she almost dropped it. It also swelled in size, something that would normally have panicked the young nurse - but her mind had frozen on pressing the button to stop the lift and reverse its direction.

A fatal mistake.

Black spines and tendrils burst from the bundle, and speared Umiko throw her midsection. Blood spurted forth from the punctures, but didn't reach the walls. The bundle soaked it up. Umiko's hands loosened, and the bundle dropped to the ground, blankets unfurling around the creature now standing on the floor. It looked around, then up at the woman only standing because of the spines still poking through her.

"Ma... ma?"

******

Usagi Tsukino dropped her numerous bags at the top of the stairs, sweating heavily. "Oooh that was a tough walk."

Rei Hino, clad in jeans and a short-sleeve shirt glanced over. "Maybe if you hadn't brought the entire contents of your room with you, you wouldn't be so exhausted."

"What? What are you implying, Rei?" Usagi demanded, up on her toes now with hair flying out the back of her head. Rei smiled.

Makoto stepped in between the two girls. Really, they'd both been this way since summer began, and they'd got their acceptances to Tokyo University. Strange how they'd all been accepted. And moving here... well, with the end of the threats from the Negaverse, a nice quiet life was just what the doctor ordered.

Or in this case, Sailor Pluto, who had popped in six months ago, and told them they all had to attend Tokyo University, and live in this place. Why, Makoto wasn't sure. But the thinking wasn't actually part of her thoughts these days. She was just looking forward to a normal life. If Pluto said jump, though, the girls jumped.

Of course, she couldn't quite figure out why Hotaru had been sent here as well, seeing as she was still in high school. But Pluto must have seen something good for her here. Had to have. Why Pluto had then turned around and taken Haruka and Michiru with her, that was well beyond Makoto's understanding.

She gave a glance back, to make sure Hotaru and Ami were coming up the stairs all right, then glared at Rei and Usagi each in turn. "Calm down for a change, eh? Let's try and have at least one nice day here."

Minako flounced up next to Usagi, and whispered in her ear, and pointed upwards. Usagi cranked her head back. Rei and Makoto did the same. There was a man on the roof. Maybe about their age, eighteen-ish or so. Who was fixing the roof. Pulling up old tiles, and replacing them. And doing it at speed! Minako's eyes were big. Usagi stared, then pfft, making a waving motion with her hands. "He's not Mamoru."

"Of course he's not!" Minako replied, stars shining brightly around her head. "He's so cute!"

"Are you implying Mamoru isn't cute? Why, I'll let you know -" Usagi fell silent at the weird look she got from Minako, and decided perhaps the Senshi of Venus might know more about that than she was letting on.

There was an excited gasp from behind them, and they turned. Hotaru had finally reached the top of the stairs, and was gazing at the dorm with happiness in her eyes. "It looks so... beautiful!" she announced. Ami, standing beside her, dropped both her bag and Hotaru's on the ground, and straightened up, admiring the old building.

And it really was something fantastic. From the forward section, it ran back two dozen metres, before lancing out to both sides with separate wings. The whole building was about three floors high, and a rear area could be seen fenced off with an old-style bamboo fence. Occasional waves of steam from that direction suggested a hot springs in the immediate vicinity. That, more than anything else, attracted Hotaru.

By that time, though, Minako's gaze had turned back up to the guy on the roof.

"But he's still not cuter than Mamoru," Usagi grumped before grabbing her bags and hauling them inside.

Hotaru waved to the black-haired boy on the roof. Makoto called out to him. Finally, he noticed them, and turned to look down, wiping sweat off his forehead with the back of an arm.

"Hang on!" he called down, "I'll be right there!"

The young man picked up a red shirt, and wandered off the roof to what would likely have been stairs or somesuch, putting his shirt on as he went. A minute or so later, he was at the front door, opening it wide for Usagi, who pushed past. "I get the first room!" she yelled, and disappeared somewhere inside the building.

Rei sighed. Hefted her bags, and likewise pushed past the man. Makoto sighed, and headed past him with a muttered, "Sorry," on his way to make sure they wouldn't kill each other just yet. Ami was the first who stopped to talk with him.

"We're very sorry we didn't call before we arrived," she explained. "But it looked to be a long walk. I'm Ami Mizuno."

The man shrugged, not accepting her hand, but eyeing it as something dangerous, like a snake. That was weird. "Ranma," he replied. "Ranma Saotome. I'm the manager of the... the dorm for now. The owner left for overseas."

"Oh?" Ami asked. She hadn't heard the owner was leaving.

Minako peered over Ami's shoulder. "She told me that." Somehow, Ranma didn't quite see how she did it, but the next moment Ami was standing off to one side, and this blond girl was standing before him. "Hi. I'm Minako Aino!"

"Uh... Ranma." His hand was pumped repeatedly by this strange girl, and he was a little too shocked to realise. belatedly, he pulled his hand away. He recognised the signs in this girl of a fiance... just like Shampoo. Or Ukyou, for that matter. At least Akane never got this bad. But she still gave him troubles occasionaly like that. He stepped back to give himself some room. Minako then flounced inside, happily.

Ami apologised and headed inside also, to pick a room and place her things away.

That left... Ranma turned back to see a younger girl staring at him. She was pale, a little wan-looking, but had a nice smile on her face. When she noticed Ranma was looking at her, she blushed, and dropped her eyes. "H... H... Hello, sempai," she murmured. Ranma blinked. Sempai? Oh well, she had to be younger than the others. Maybe that was what she was referring to? Yeah, had to be.

He noticed she hadn't picked up her bags. It also looked as if she wouldn't be able to lift them. So Ranma stepped forward, and held out a hand. "Would you like me tot ake your bags up to a room?" he asked.

The girl's eyes opened a bit wider, and her blush deeper. "Yes. Yes, thank you!"

Weird. Anyway, Ranma shrugged, and grabbed her bags, hefted them on a shoulder, and headed inside. "Where do you want to stay? What floor? What wing? Erm... and who are you?"

"Hotaru Tomoe, sempai," she replied, after a moment's hesitation. "I can stay wherever you can fit me. I don't want to trouble you."

"Nonsense," Ranma sighed. "I'm the manager/caretaker of this place. You want anything, you come to me. You need help, come to me." Yeah, this job might not be so hard. He became aware as he was heading towards the stairs that Hotaru had stopped, and was pointing at a room.

"I would like this room, sempai."

Right across from his room. Okay. He could live with that. He dumped her bags on the bed, and pointed her to the springs, and the nearest bathroom, before heading back up to the roof for work.

Maybe this wouldn't be such a bad job after all.

But, hmm. That was six girls. Where was the seventh?

******

At the bottom of the stairs, Mitsuki Matsuda stared upwards, towards the place she would now be living. For the next few years, anyway. The two bags she had on her shoulders were small, barely containing anything, but that was her life's accumulation of items.

Maybe... just maybe... this could be the beginning of a new start. Maybe... here... she would find the peace she had been searching for.

SAILOR MOON SAYS:

Yes, she might. And pigs might fly ;)

Yeah, Ranma's about 18 here. Why? Well, it just fits the story. Same with the senshi... they'll mostly be the 17-18 mark. Hotaru I'm not sure on yet, but I'm pretty sure she's younger than the other senshi... I'm guessing 16 or under. Maybe a lot more than that ;) I'll patch up ages once I can find something on it... until then, I'm being very circumspect in that regard.

Apologies for what may be disjointed, was rather ill during the writing. Better now, so expect chapter 2 as soon as I can write it J 

Until chapter 2...


	3. Truth - Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff. Existing characters are properties of the people who made them up. Mitsuki, and several other characters are mine, and so's the story, hence ownership and copyright of them belongs to me. Contact me at domino@linksnet.nu if you want permission to use anything I've written for whatnot purposes.

TRUTH

by

Raymond Cooper

Chapter 2

** The Girls **

"RANMA!"

Ranma Saotome sighed. Surely work wasn't supposed to be quite like this... but it was. It was only the girls' second day at the Ai Sou, and already, he'd been yelled at more times than he cared to remember. First it had been hot water in the showers. In four bathrooms. Eventually, he'd simply pointed out the hot springs out the back could double as showers until he had time for the plumbing (which turned out to be approximately 3:17AM, a fact he remembered because that was the time on Rei's clock when the floor gave way when he stepped on it... and he dropped straight into her room). After the hot water, Usagi had complained about the shade of paint in her room. She wanted it a bright yellow. After Ranma had painted it in the shade she requested, nope, it didn't look right, and so as soon as it dried, it was to be stripped off and painted white, like it originally had been.

Minako had tailed him around for the first twenty four hours (she had been the reason the floor gave way - but she dodged back out of the bathroom before Ranma took his trip to an angry priestess). Makoto had mostly left him alone, but did at one point chase him around the kitchen with a rather sharp knife after he walked in shirtless looking for a cool drink. That one was still surprising, even with all the girl trouble Ranma had run into previously.

Rei had ruined two walls in arguments with Usagi, and Ranma swore Usagi herself trashed a third (least, he'd heard her yell something about punishing someone - and he was surprised, he didn't think any of these girls were into anything kinky like that). Ami had been rather quiet, but voices carried from certain rooms in the dormitory, and Ranma had heard her complaining there were no fibre optic links for her computer, and that she had to go back to using her old 56k modem, and that was just too bad.

The least trouble had been caused by Hotaru.

She was quiet, courteous, and not prone to action. Ranma guessed that was because she was often ill, or weak, or frail, or something. He wasn't sure. But she didn't look too steady on her feet, and was often pale after walking up stairs and stuff. He also noticed the other girls help her carry things around from time to time, and if she went into town, at least one would go with her.

She was the youngest of the girls, at fourteen, and attending a local school, or she would be when term started... in a scant few days.

No, Hotaru was no trouble.

But she had the curious habit of turning up near where Ranma was, with slightly wide eyes and a "Sempai..." on her lips. 

"Sempai, can you help me arrange my room?" 

"Sempai, can you reach the tea cups on the top shelf?"

"Sempai, could you help me find a post box?"

"Sempai... Sempai... Sempai..."

She was cute, for a young girl, and very polite, but too young for Ranma. Even if he had thoughts about her, nope, too young. He much preferred someone his age... well, in theory. He hadn't had much luck with girls his own age of late... and previous to that, he hadn't really noticed girls. But every boy hits that age on his trip to manhood where one did start to notice some friends wore skirts. And what was so special about them that needed skirts? His father had had to explain a few things on their training trip through China, like exactly why they wore skirts, and how to determine who was a good choice of a wife by their cooking skill.

That was his father, though, and Ranma had ignored that part of the conversation, preferring to choose his own wife, some day in the far, far future.

That was before the move to the Tendo's dojo.

Ranma shook his head. Back to the subject at hand. Yes, Hotaru was too young. But nice. If he'd had a younger sister, he'd have liked her to be like Hotaru.

Maybe even a younger brother.

"**RANMA!**"

Usagi's voice was louder now.

It always got louder.

So he stepped up to the doorway, took a deep breath, and opened the thin paper-in-wood-frame door, and readied himself.

But there wasn't the expected blast. Usagi stood at the doorway, and pointed at his face, looking all the while back at Rei and Minako. "He is **NOT** cuter than my Mamo-chan!"

******

After Ranma picked himself up from unconsciousness, he went back to work on the roof. None of the girls came up here much... the tiles were slippery at the best of times, and while the washing line was strung up on a flat roof in the midpoint of the three wings, just down from where Ranma was, they couldn't see him along most of that wing's roof. So he got to work.

One wing had been re-tiled already, and he was moving on to the front wing's roof now, determined to find and stop any possible leaks before there was any rain. He placed a row of tiles down, then performed a quick katsu tenshin amagurriken to hammer in the nails (without actually using a hammer, which made the repairs just marginaly less expensive). Then he started on the next row of tiles, setting them up and hammering the nails in.

In the midday heat, that took energy out of him - he was too proud to admit the constant problems that just mysteriously happened around the girls was wearing him out fast - and he sat down for a drink, which he'd balanced on the very centrepoint of the roof. The cool water refreshed him. 

And a bottle of it on the rood didn't chase him around with a knife.

He heard something down behind him, where the small ladder up from the centre roof came up, and he turned.

A familiar bob-cut of black hair rose, slowly, unsteadily. The hair was rather glossy, actually - seeming almost to shine with a purple sheen. Ranma sighed, and stood up, capping his drink and rebalancing it before walking nimbly over to the younger girl.

"S... sempai?" Hotaru asked, hesitantly, holding on to the ladder for dear life.

He shook his head, looking a little peeved. "Hotaru. You don't have to climb up here, ya know, you could just yell." Not like I'm used to girls yelling my name out, or anything, that is...

"But I -" was all she got out before her elbow unlocked from the run it was wrapped around, and she began to fall backward. Ranma's arms darted out, and he grabbed her wrists before she could fall too far, and he leaned back to counter the overbalancing he was experiencing. For a moment, he thought they would both go down, but no, his grip held, as did his balance, and he deposited Hotaru on the roof next to him.

"What's up, Hotaru?"

She wrapped her arms around Ranma's waist, just in case she slipped and fell... it was a lot more dangerous up here than Hotaru had thought. For now, she could bear the burning cheeks, until she got somewhere a bit safer. "I thought... you might like some company, sempai... they can be... a bit much sometimes." The last few words were barely spoken in a whisper, her voice trailed off so much.

Ranma rolled his eyes. "Geeze, not like I haen't had to put up with that stuff before. I mean, my fiances -"

"Fiances?" Hotaru froze, eyes opened wide now in shock. Ranma had fiances - plural? He was engaged? To a *girl*? Engaged at all?

"Hey, not like I want to be engaged, it's what my pop did to get food." Ranma snorted. "The idiot. Not like I want to get married just yet, especially not to that uncute tomboy!" He settled down - Hotaru had frozen up completely, and misreading the situation, he thought it was because his slight show of anger was reminding her of just how high up they were. Ranma shrugged, and patted her uneasily on the shoulder. "But they yell at me all the time. And they hit me. And I'm sure they hit me harder than Rei can."

Hotaru blinked, slowly, the blush building back up. "They hit you, sempai?" She put her money on Rei being able to hit harder.

"Yeah..." One of Ranma's hands found it's way up to behind his head, and scratched idly in an unconscious nervous/embarrassed gesture. "They're all a bit violent."

The smaller girl pressed up against him tighter. "They won't hurt you while I'm here, sempai." Ranma missed the import of that, and thought it was a cute thing to say. Hotaru continued, slowly, a little louder. "I... came up to see if you needed help."

"Help?" Now Ranma thought of it, help could be kinda cool. Fun. Someone to talk to. Company. Company who didn't yell at him, or near him, or over him, or hit him. What more could a man want? "Yeah, now I think of it... I need some help putting these tiles in rows..."

******

Hotaru watched Ranma work like a madman. She was on her hands and knees, never more than an arm's reach from Ranma (so he could grab her, as he'd done twice now already, if she slipped) and she watched his hands hammer in the nails at speeds her eyes refused to make out. Far as she could tell, his hands weren't moving. But he would pause for half a second, remove one hand from the nail being held upright, then there was a small BANG of displaced air, and the nail had disappeared into the tile and board beneath. And Ranma's hand would be slightly heated afterwards, she supposed from air friction, or maybe... no, it couldn't be an energy field.

Wouldn't she pick it up? And wouldn't that mean he was part of the Negaverse?

Maybe, maybe not. Regardless, she wasn't picking anything up from him.

She was very impressed, though, there was no doubt of that. Just like she had no doubt the older man was the slightest bit interested in her. But hey, she was discovering boys. And Ranma was a very nice boy. Powerfully built, yet slim; fast, manoeuvrable, yet slow enough to be polite, and very graceful; always seemed to know the right thing to say to her, even if the other girls (older, and pickier) never thought he did. Everything he did seemed to be done out of consideration for others.

Like the plumbing job he'd done through the night. Okay, she could believe his protestations that he was trying to get Minako out of his hair by doing grimey work, and that he didn't want Usagi to yell at him any more than absolutely necessary, but she thought the real reason he did it was because it was inconveniencing people. People relied on hot water for showers or baths. Thus, for their comfort, he had fixed it.

He was a nice man, underneath the occasionally gruff or unconcerned exterior.

And he was extra special nice to Hotaru, something she enjoyed a lot.

In fact, she was so busy enjoying it, she didn't notice that she put her weight on a tile that hadn't been attached to the roof properly yet, and it slipped out from under her. Her chin hit the roof with enough force to knock the frail girl silly, and she tipped over backwards.

Ranma caught the sound of the tile and turned towards it, seeing Hotaru falling just a scant moment too late to catch her as he had been doing. She hit the roof with her back, bounced, and went off the roof.

Ranma went after her.

His arms wrapped around her back, then he fed one down under her knees, and only then worried about the fast approaching ground. His legs bent at the knees to allow for a softer landing, he concentrated, and managed to throw out a ki-blast through his legs - learn something new every day. The energy slammed into the ground - but the force of it leaving his body slowed his descent enough for the landing to be very gentle. In fact, Hotaru didn't notice they had yet touched the ground because there had been no jarring thud of any description.

Her unfocussed eyes gazed up at him, and she gave him her sexiest smile. "Sempai." Then she passed out completely.

Ranma was kind of glad she passed out, because that face she was pulling before she did... man, looked like she'd sustained brain damage or something.

He heard a slow clap from behind him, and he turned.

There stood a woman, who looked to be about twenty. She was taller than Ranma, with a light violet shade of hair, thin eyebrows, and eyes a deep purple. She was dressed in jeans and a loose-fitting white t-shirt, and had a smirk on her face. Two small bags lay behind her. "Impressive," she nodded at Ranma.

Behind him again, the front doors of the dorm flew open, and Usagi, Rei and Makoto rushed out. "What do you think you're doing?" Usagi howled. "Get your hands off her!"

"Uh?" Ranma said, turning back. Not sure where to look now, he just stared blankly at the blond.

The blond glared back, and took up an aggressive stance, fists bunched, held away from her body, legs apart for balance, and twin clouds of steam blowing out of both ears. "Put her down gently - or so help me-"

Makoto rolled her eyes at the theatrics. "Cool it, you could really hurt him."

"I'm wanting to."

Makoto's hand clasped Usagi's shoulder, tightly. "Back off, Princess."

The stress of the word wasn't lost on Ranma. Maybe a nickname of some kind? He didn't know. But Hotaru was stirring in his arms, and her eyes opened. "You... saved me?"

"No hard thing," Ranma brushed the thanks off, and helped Hotaru to stand up. "Just be more careful, okay? This place *is* a construction area for the moment, after all."

Hotaru's eyes glittered in adoration, but seeing as her face was lowered in embarrassment, and her face was burning with blood just under her skin, Ranma missed it completely. "Yes, sempai."

"But he was trying to hurt her!" Usagi complained, distantly, as Makoto, having made sure Hotaru was okay, dragged her off somewhere dark and quiet. The younger girl followed them at a discrete distance. Ranma turned back to the other woman.

"Wondering when you'd get back to me."

"More wondering who you are." But... he was waiting on the seventh girl. Could she be this woman? "Uh... are you...?"

"The seventh student," the woman confirmed with a slow nod. Ranma noted well-toned muscles, hidden in rather feminine lines. And then decided it might not be the best idea to openly study this woman. Something about her... seemed antagonistic. She didn't seem quite right to him, she was wrong.

It was something he'd noted about the other students, something he'd just put down to his abilities having gained in sensitivity through constant training, a change he'd taken for granted while around the same people day in, day out in Nerima. But with this new arrival, the feeling was even more powerful, if that was the term for it. He found his hands involuntarily bnuched in fists, tendons straining, his lungs hyperventilating. Ready for battle? Why?

She didn't feel *that* wrong, did she?

No. But then, she really didn't feel right, either, and that was something that interested Ranma.

The woman smirked at his hesitation. But other than that, she did nothing. Just stood there, waiting.

"Oh," continued Ranma, lamely. His hand found its way to the back of his head again, and he looked away from her gaze for a moment, trying to focus, sense something, anything. But no, just an overwhelming sense of danger.

Definitely something to think about.

"If you're finished considering the scenery," the woman started, "you might help me to my room."

A flat statement, spoken without the lilt of humour, with no indication of life in her eyes. That, more than any single other thing, was what sent the shiver up Ranma's spine.

He turned to lead her inside, but at that moment, there was an explosion in the distance. he whirled back, and could see the flare of... darkness?

From out on the other side of the prefecture, waves and streamers of what Ranma could only think of as dark light spewed forth from a hole in the building Ranma recognised as the local hospital. A moment later, an overwhelming feeling of evil and dread swept over him... a feeling that strangely resembled need and want, primal urges without control. Ranma stepped towards it, instinctively, then noticed Hotaru was beside him again, Usagi, Minako, Makoto, Ami and Rei as well. All staring towards the eruption of weird stuff.

Hotaru's hand clutched at Ranma's, surprisingly strong for someone he perceived to be so weak. Physically weak, he corrected himself idly. The sound from the explosion finally reached them, a dull, muffled crump and very weak screams. He supposed that was from people trapped inside whichever piece of the hospital had just collapsed.

The new arrival, Ranma noticed, had already launched into action, haring down the stairs, taking four or five at a time and not heeding her own safety. Usagi and Rei shared a look, then followed. Ami's breath had frozen.

"They're back again?" she asked, aghast. Minako grabbed her hand.

"Come on, we can worry about it on the way!" They disappeared rapidly.

It was just Makoto, Hotaru and Ranma left now. Then Makoto shook herself out of her reverie, and glanced down at the younger girl. "I don't think you'll make it there in any condition to help," she said, glancing pointedly at Ranma. Hotaru nodded, and Makoto left, also.

"Uh... there could be survivors," Ranma said, starting to move finally towards the stairs, having come to grips with what he had felt. A surprisingly strong hand still gripped his, and held him back.

"No, sempai, you'd get hurt." Hotaru's tugging was strong, insistant, yet strangely... worried. And caring. "Help me with my homework?"

The blackness was spreading out from the hospital now, running across the skies unfettered. The girls had disappeared into the growing artificial night.

"Uh..." Ranma squatted down to look up into the girl's eyes, earnestly. "Hotaru-chan. Your friends just ran off into danger. Geeze, I can't explain what it is, or what it's doing here, but I can feel it. And it feels... wrong. Even if there aren't any survivors, even if every bit of me wants to stay here... I feel if I do stay here... your friends will die."

Hotaru stared down at him for long moments. Then, realising time was of the essence, and that Ranma was going to go regardless of her thoughts, she acquiesed. "Okay, sempai... if you must." Wow, Ranma thought, she had a backbone? And what a backbone. "But you will take me with you."

The pressure from her hand didn't waver. Ranma could almost see waves of power radiating from the girl as she stared evenly at him, waiting. He knew the only way to go was through her... and he wasn't going to go through her - he suspected that could hurt him more than her. So he nodded, and before she could release her hand, swung her into his hands, and jumped up on the handrail running down the stairs. He sped down, making faster time than the girls had, but they did have a huge head start on him... he leapt up onto rooftops, and started crossing them with ease.

Hotaru's hands gripped around his neck, her head buried in his chest, but with enough view to see the speed at which they were travelling. Perhaps Ranma had some hidden talents of his own...?

Whatever. For now, she concentrated on the waves of power emanating from the direction of the hospital... weak, but growing ever stronger... waves of darkness... Negaverse power.

******

In the ruins of the hospital wing, something stirred, and pushed rubble up. It was small, child-sized, spiny and coated in a glossy black. White glowing eyes pulsed from the centre of the head. Crouched below it in the tatters of a nurse's uniform, were the slightly altered remains of Umiko Hayasagawa, glaring about with cat-like intensity.

"Do we eat the rest now, master?" she asked.

The child-sized thing shook its head. "Eat. Yes. Eat."

Umiko bounded off on all fours to scavage something to eat, while the black thing continued to stand, and glare about itself with what appeared to be hunger and anger. They had tried to stop it from feeding. It wanted to feed. It *need* to feed. And feed it would.

Now. Starting with this pitiful excuse for a human, partly squashed under rubble, but protected by his toppled hospital bed. He tried to push the thing away, but the thing didn't even pay the resistance attention, spines punching through the man's stomach. The explosion of gore was absorbed before it could coat anything, and it fed.

There was a footstep behind him...

******

THIRTY SECONDS LATER:

Ranma leaped from one rooftop. At the top of his flight arc, there was an explosion. The shockwave impacted upon his shoulder, snapping Hotaru's head forward. She opened her eyes in shock, and made a decision as they plumeted groundward.

Ranma heard Hotaru say something, felt her move, but thought it was panic from the drop. Ranma was worried more about the pool of cold-looking water they were now flying towards. He wasn't sure if he wanted Hotaru knowing about his little "problem", but decided that her safety was more important than keeping his curse a secret. He turned his shoulder towards the pool, and held his breath.

He put the flash of light seemingly in his arms down to the shock of hitting the very cold water, and the sudden surge or power he pinned down as another explosion... incorrectly, he found out, as he stood from the water, his body shifting into his female form.

There was someone else sitting in the pool with him. It looked... well, Ranma was having problems with that. She looked very familiar. Something about her hair, her eyes, her face, her size, build, everything about her. But he just couldn't place the girl. She was wearing a sailor-style fuku, with a sash that appeared to be brown while wet. She was holding something on the bottom of the pool, as well, something long that Ranma couldn't quite make out. She looked over at Ranma, nervous about something, but Ranma couldn't tell about what.

It was when he started looking about for Hotaru that it occurred to him what the girl was nervous about. He peered at the girl... "Hotaru-chan?"

The senshi peered back, nervously. "Ranma?"

Oh dear.

TO BE CONTINUED...

SAILOR MOON SAYS:

Firstly, a big thank you to all those who have continued to review, it's very encouraging :) An extra special thanks to Mauricio Chung, who was nice enough to send me reference material that will come in handy soon enough.

Secondly, a rather humourous sidenote that occurred to me while writing, and had I found a place to put it in, it would have been mentioned (it still might make a mention in a later chapter;): why did everyone see the dark light before feeling the evil? Well, evil only travels at the speed of light... and dark light travels at the speed of dark, which as we all know is much faster than the speed of light... else we could see it. (I think the original quote, which I'm sure I've mangled, comes from the Diskworld books... I think.)

Thirdly. I'm not sure on Saturn's sash colours for the moment... I haven't had time to check additional references, but the two pictures I have of Saturn show a brownish colour... considering that the non-blue bits are rather shadowed, that makes determining that colour difficult... also not sure what the weapon she has is... gonna check up on that ;)

I originally was going to have this last part happen in a few chapter's time. That is, the explosion at the hospital. But hey, I'd got enough out about the girls and how they were interacting with Ranma, I think. And I introduced Mitsuki, which I wanted to do. Yes, she arrived at the dorm a day after arriving at the bottom of the stairs... why? She was nervous, and more than a little angry. You'll see what I mean.

Anyway, next part: the first fight! The senshi and Ranma tackle the beast for the first time, and maybe, just maybe find out some really weird stuff. Maybe :) Anyway, check back in a few days for Chapter 3...


	4. Truth - Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff. Existing characters are properties of the people who made them up. Mitsuki, and several other characters are mine, and so's the story, hence ownership and copyright of them belongs to me. Contact me at domino@linksnet.nu if you want permission to use anything I've written for whatnot purposes.

NOTE:

This part has some mild swearing in. Well, most of them likely do. But it occurred to me I should put a warning up, even though the rating should tell people that, just in case.

TRUTH

by

Raymond Cooper

Chapter 3

** The Secret **

FORTY-FIVE SECONDS AGO:

"Give it up, monster from the Dark Kingdom!"

Sailor Moon. Somehow the creature knew this was her. Perhaps it was some subconscious knowledge burned into it, perhaps it was just some kind of subliminal message the fuku-clad teen put out. The result was the same. It lashed out with a black tendril, smashing towards her at speeds she could barely comprehend.

Sailor Moon didn't move fast enough - but Jupiter did, knocking the Moon princess to one side and catching the tendril on her shoulder. It ripped through her fuku - surprising Jupiter, she thought that the material was somewhat stronger - and sliced through her skin like a hot knife through butter. She gasped in pain, but gritted her teeth and grabbed the tendril, yanking the creature off its feet and spinning it around to slam into a wall.

Ichor spurted from a wound, and the creature withdrew the tendril into itself. Beside it, what was once Umiko Hayasagawa leaped to its side, and thrust out an arm at the woman who had dared strike her master. A blast of energy covered the distance between the hand and Jupiter rapidly, but the senshi dodged, leaping upwards and flipping to land on her feet, still keeping her eyes on the creature and the former nurse.

Behind Jupiter, Sailor Moon got to her feet, and grumbled. "I always get knocked around," she moaned quietly. Mercury, Venus and Mars joined her from above, and readied to do battle.

Unfortunately, the beast had no intentions of waiting for them to begin fighting, and cast off its outer layer of skin in an explosion...

******

NOW:

Saturn stared at the red-haired girl in the pool with her. It hadn't been deep, and Saturn had been lucky she'd managed to change before hitting it... although Ranma had angled himself to take the brunt of the impact... and would have landed where the girl was now sitting, staring back. Hotaru realised, somehow, that this had to be Ranma - she was wearing the same clothing, had the same hairstyle - even to a large degree, the same clothes and even the same expressive eyes.

Which was very weird.

Ranma, on the other hand, was sitting in a pool of water, feeling topheavy since he hadn't been prepared for a change (oh yes, he'd found a number of items of clothing that were very handy when in combat situations, which he was sure this would soon turn out to be) and staring at a girl who looked like Hotaru... but his brain kept refusing to make the conscious - and even subconscious - connections. He *knew* she had to be the girl he'd brought with him to the hospital, but... it was as if his awareness kept sliding off to find something else to hold his attention. "Hotaru?" he repeated, beginning to stand.

Saturn didn't know what this girl had done with Ranma, and so raised her glaive out of the water, springing to a stand herself, and swept the staff weapon under the girl's feet to knock the Ranma-thing over. Or rather, she tried to. The girl leaped up and landed on the glaive as it whistled under her. "What did you do to Ranma?" Saturn demanded.

Ranma sighed. "I *am* Ranma, uh... Hotaru-chan?" He had to hold on to that name... it just kept slipping from his mind all too easily. He suspected it was some kind of unconscious ki attack on his brain from her. "It's kinda hard to explain, but I've got a curse." He jumped up and dodged the glaive again. "When I get splashed with cold water, I, uh, turn into a girl."

Saturn stopped waving the staff at the girl, and narrowed her eyes. "Ranma?" she said, again. It really did resemble him. She had no doubt this person was in Ranma's body... but was it Ranma? She was kind of up-to-date on personalities and entities that could take control of one's psyche, and she wasn't too sure if this really was Ranma or not.

He gestured at the hospital. "Come on, we've got to go see if we can help!" Ranma leaped out of the pool, and bounded for the rooves again, slinging the surprised senshi up onto his back as he passed her.

Saturn blinked for a moment, then relaxed. This was Ranma. Had to be. He was still acting the same, even though he didn't look the same... she guessed she must herself look pretty weird to Ranma, but he had decided there were people needing rescue, and had gone back to that, ignoring his own safety for the moment to try and help those who were more in need of assistance than himself.

She could still smell the musk of his sweat on the girl's back, too... that clinched it. This had to be Ranma. She turned her head and placed it more comfortably along Ranma's shoulders, unaware of just how much her added dead weight was causing the slightly weaker female Ranma to slow down, and uttered a small whisper Ranma only just caught. "Sempai..."

******

"Princess! Are you all right?" Venus' voice called out through the cloud of dust and gravel chunks that swirled around the devastated wing of the hospital.

Sailor Moon coughed, and groaned. "This isn't my day..." Then, louder: "I'm all right. Is everyone else okay?"

The other assembled senshi called in from their locations. They all seemed to be okay... but the blast had stunned them for a moment, and they were disorganised, disoriented. That showed a moment later when Mars coughed and grunted from a blow to the stomach. She dragged herself upright, only to be slammed back past Sailor Moon, who in the disturbance of the cloud caused by her friend's passage, saw the nurse, looking slightly more feral than before. She raised her hands, and yelled, "Moon tiara action!" She whipped her tiara off, and sent it spinning towards Umiko, who raised a forearm and blocked the strike. The tiara rammed into the forearm, pushing the monster backwards, then fell to the ground, its energy spent. Sailor Moon gaped in momentary shock, and the monster sprang at her, claws sprouting from her fingertips and going straight for her eyes.

Saturn's glaive smashed down on the creature's back, smashing her into the ground for the moment.

"Mouko takabisha!" A girl's voice yelled, and an energy blast of a type Mercury couldn't quite get a decent reading on blasted up higher in the air. The shockwave from the small explosion thrust the cloying cloud of debris into the ground, dispersing it pretty effectively. Sailor Moon could see a young woman standing on top of a nearby wall, arms folded, looked very pissed off. She was wearing Ranma's clothes, and looked like Ranma a bit, but was female and had red hair. Maybe Ranma had a violent twin sister he kept locked under the stairs? She didn't know, and turned back to check on the nurse.

Saturn hammered Umiko again, and the former nurse decided it might be prudent to stay down. But regardless, she had to gloat. "My master can beat all of you!" she sneered.

Jupiter looked at the wall where she had slammed the creature before - and saw it was watching closely. Well, she assumed. She couldn't make out any detail to or around the white glowing eyes, and thus wasn't entirely sure. But she wasn't taking chances. "Jupiter thunder crash!" Jupiter crossed her forearms, and lightning bolted down into her tiara before unloading into the creature. It still stood there, watching, although it did stagger back a little. hen it cocked its head, and looked down at its chest... which was smoking lightly.

"No way!" Jupiter's words reached even Ranma, who was observing the battle as a trained martial arts warrior. He couldn't get an accurate reading on the black creature, it just overwhelmed his senses. But the thing in the nurse's uniform that... Hotaru had taken out, that matched any of the girls' power levels below him. He would be stretched himself to fight her, he thought, but what was even more interesting was the fact that she only seemed to be vulnerable to physical attacks... which meant he likely had more of a chance with her than the black creature. He leaped down lightly, beside the other girls. Something nagged at the back of his mind about them, but he wasn't going to think about it just yet. He was trying to keep... Hotaru in his mind, and that was difficult enough.

And now he had to focus. He looked at Saturn, who was about to hit the nurse again, and shook her head. "I've got her," Ranma said.

Mercury eyed him carefully. "Who are you?"

"Hard to explain," he replied. But the senshi continued to look at him rather than at the enemy.

"You're not capable of fighting these monsters," Mercury continued. "You'd best leave."

Saturn shook her head. "I think... she can take care of herself." She nodded at Ranma, and stopped dead, looking directly at him.

Well, not quite at him. Ranma's senses went off about someone... or some*thing*... behind him, and he dropped to the ground, seeing another of the fuku-clad women behind him.

But this one was taller, and had a black bow and collar. Her hair was also collected into a tight ponytail, then rolled up tighter so it wouldn't swing loose in combat, he noticed. And she looked to be... more mature, older, than the other senshi.

She didn't spare Ranma a glance. Her arms came up. "Nemesis arctic fire!" she yelled, and a staggering blast of energy leaped between her hands at the black creature. It was slammed back into the wall again, internal fluids leaking out. But it dragged itself back upright, ready to do combat. The new woman was already in motion, leaping up into the air, and spinning over to bring down a powerful kick on the creature's head. It looked up, and shafts of black energy and biological matter surged upwards. The senshi tried to dodge, but couldn't avoid so many coming in so fast... one stabbed through her forearm. Blood spurted freely as she hauled herself off the shaft, and glared angrily at the creature. "Richter wave!" She punched the ground with her good arm, and pieces of concrete fell from high above, shaken loose by the earth tremor that even now spread towards the senshi, Ranma, and the two monsters. The wave hit Ranma first, and shook him mightily. 

He leapt clear, grabbing Saturn on the way through, but he then fell to the ground, exhausted and shaked beyond his ability to stand. The black creature growled, and grabbed Umiko, then disappeared in a black flash.

The older senshi smirked, then turned and started to stalk off into the shadows. Sailor Moon reached out to grab the woman.

"Hi! I'm Sailor -"

"Spare me your utterances," the woman snapped. "I've things to do." She disappeared in the rapidly brightening gloom, for parts unknown.

Ranma was stirring on the ground, where Hotaru had him leant up against herself. "Are you all right?" she asked. Ranma nodded.

"'m fine. Or I will be. The patients...?"

Sailor Moon gaped. Worried about patients at a time like - oh yeah... that was why they were here. She looked down at the rubble, then over at Mercury. The innermost senshi looked into displays on her visor, then shook her head. "There's none," Sailor Moon said, quietly. "That thing must have done a good job before we got here."

The senshi, as a group, were a little morose at that statement. No wonder, Ranma thought. "That's bad," he agreed. Saturn shifted under him, got him more comfortable. "But at least... now you've got an idea of what you'll be up against."

"What?" That sentence got the attention of all the assembled senshi.

"It's obvious... whoever you girls are... you know what that thing was. And it knows you. And it wants you." Ranma paused. "Couldn't you feel that?"

Saturn shook her head. "No, sempai," she said, quietly. Jupiter blinked at Minako, who raised a confused eyebrow in return - worldwide body language for, "No, I don't recognise her, and why's Hotaru taking an interest in girls all of a sudden?"

Ranma pushed himself to his feet, and nodded thanks at Saturn, before flexing limbs. "And that last one of you to turn up... she's dangerous. Those attacks could have killed us all."

Who wanted to be the one to tell him? The senshi all paused, and looked at each other, wondering. Finally, Sailor Moon stepped forward. "Uh, we don't actually know her yet. She's got to be a new member of the team." She looked up at the others again. "But who? Don't we have all the planets covered?"

Mercury hmmed. "The first attack she used was... 'Nemesis arctic fire'. For a lot of years now, there's been rumoured to be a tenth planet out there, beyond Pluto on an erratic orbit. It was given the name Nemesis some time ago by several astronomers. And it was thought to be detected in 1984 by the IRIS space probe sent up by the European Space Agency -"

Jupiter cut her off. "So we've got another senshi. And she's a loose cannon. Well, we eventually tamed U- er, Sailor Moon," she corrected herself with a glance at Ranma. "I'm sure this one'll come around."

Mars have her a bleak look. "Sure."

Sailor Moon tried to put a bright spin on things, and move it along. "Well, we'd love to stay and chat, but we've got worlds to save and people to rescue, so we're going to go now - bye!" and she disappeared around the corner pretty quickly. The others sighed, and chased after them, all barring Saturn, who stayed with Ranma.

"Sempai?" she asked from behind him, reversing her transformation. Ranma turned.

"Yes, Hotaru?"

"Let's get home before them?"

"Yeah. Good idea." Ranma looked around... with all that energy flashing around, and lightning... surely there had to be... yes! "Hot water!" he crowed before upending a cracked bedside jug of warm water over his head. He felt his body revert to its normal form, and he turned back to Hotaru. "See? It's me."

Hotaru nodded.

"And that girl... was that you?"

Hotaru nodded again. "I am sorry, sempai," she said, suddenly bowing, and making it a little fast for her normal body. She started to go down, but Ranma caught her and swung her up into his arms. Then he leaped for the rooves, disappearing into the distance.

******

When the girls arrived home, Hotaru had healed Ranma's slight injuries, and both were waiting, cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Ranma had assumed that the girls would be hungry from their long excursion for nothing - Hotaru had only confirmed her position as a member of the senshi to him, and hadn't told him about the others yet, and he was thusly blissfully unaware of their identities - and had prepared sandwiches, sushi rolls, drinks and dried fruit he had found in one of the cupboards.

Hotaru helped him lay it out, and when the girls came in, dejected and exhausted, they were pleasantly greeted by a smiling Hotaru and Ranma - and plates and plates of food.

Mitsuki turned up a few minutes later, looking rather angry. But she calmed down a little when Ranma offered her some fruit pieces and a drink. 

After eating, he helped her pick a room to stay in. She stood just inside the door, with her bags, and looked Ranma square in the eyes.

"Thank you," she said, evenly. There was something in her purple eyes. She was searching for something, Ranma felt, but unsure what. He looked back, thinking that, yeah, it was okay to say she had lovely eyes. But apparently, she didn't find what she was looking for, and they hardened quite considerably. "And I'm sorry."

"What for?" Ranma asked, dumbfounded.

"For this." She slammed the door on his foot.

Ranma gripped his toes and bounced around, trying to hold in the ouches that welled in his throat.

From down the hall, Hotaru peeped from around a corner. "Sempai..." she murmured. So, the new girl... there was something about her. Hotaru had her suspicions, but they would take time and observations to work through. She knew the transformation pens would hide the other senshi's identities from Ranma, unless directly confronted with them, or told by them, but they didn't work quite so effectively against the senshi.

And this Mitsuki... she looked awfully like that 'Sailor Nemesis' woman...

TO BE CONTINUED...

SAILOR MOON SAYS:

Okay, sue me, I'm mixing in a number of USisms into the senshi... I don't have too many good examples of the Japanese originals, and not terribly sure how they act to a large extent. So yeah, it's made up, or taken in part from the DiC dub. Sorry ^^;; Also trying to fix up one mistake in the last part... again, taken from the dub. So if anything seems canonically wrong, that's likely why... covering up for my own ignorance ;)

Factoid: in 1984, the IRIS satellite probe, launched by the ESA and designed to carry out infra-red mapping of the universe, detected a planet four times the size of Earth, outside the orbit of Pluto and heading inwards. Yes, Nemesis is based on fact - very little to go on, but very true. Thought I'd toss that in, since I thought Ami might have heard of it, and that who knows? Someone might want to check up on it.

Hmm. It's kinda getting interesting to write. But one weird thing I've noticed is that writing the planet names for the senshi works... yet calling Sailor Moon just Moon doesn't sound right. I don't know. But it's a very irritating little factoid ;)

In the next part: things heat up with the monster going on a feeding frenzy and a recruitment drive. Yes, it needs food. And yes, it's very, very weak currently. It will get stronger. The senshi hold a strategy meeting. And Hotaru and Ranma go on a date. With Mitsuki. Hmm. Wild times, indeed...


	5. Truth - Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff. Existing characters are properties of the people who made them up. Mitsuki, and several other characters are mine, and so's the story, hence ownership and copyright of them belongs to me. Contact me at domino@linksnet.nu if you want permission to use anything I've written for whatnot purposes.

TRUTH

by

Raymond Cooper

Chapter 4

** The Date **

"Flour."

Ranma dropped the item in the shopping trolley, and continued pushing. Makoto held the shopping list - having decided she was going to cook for a few evenings every week to let Ranma concentrate on repairs, she insisted on helping out with the groceries.

She glanced back at him. He seemed bored, as if he'd prefer doing this faster. She had to ask him - for all the senshi. All, except Hotaru, seemed to be curious about something from a few days before, with the incident at the hospital. "Ranma?"

"Mmm?" The young man's eyes focussed on Makoto.

"Do you have a twin sister?"

"Uh?"

"You know," Makoto shrugged. "A tomboyish sister who wears the same things as you? With red hair? And -"

Oh great, thought Ranma, where did this come from? After all, he knew Hotaru was a senshi - that much was now stuck in his head - but he didn't know the other girls staying at the Ai Sou were as well. And since Makoto, Usagi, Minako, Rei and Ami hadn't been there, to the best of his knowledge, Ranma had no idea how they had seen his female form - he'd kept away from cold water since the girls moved into the dorm.

"Ranma?" Makoto prompted.

"Ah... heh heh... There's a cousin of a friend who looks a bit like me and dresses like me."

"And acts like you?" Makoto pressed.

Ranma nodded. "Uh, yeah, Ranko."

"She's okay to... be around? I mean, is she safe?"

"Safest person I know to be around!" Ranma replied, pretty quick. He was a bit miffed with that sideways insult. "She's a martial artist, like me."

Makoto smirked. "Rei'd love to spar with you."

Ranma snorted. "I'm outta her league. But I can set up a practise dummy for her or somethin'."

"Out of your league, eh?" Makoto grinned to herself. That would be something she'd have to set up.

******

The circle was drawn in the ground with the heel of Usagi's shoe. "Who ever steps outside the ring first loses."

Rei nodded briskly, in loose pants and a shirt pulled tightly around her middle. Her hair was tied back, ready for action. She stood in a ready position, staring at Ranma, who was standing there, looking faintly amused. He glanced at Usagi.

"So what do we get if we win?"

Minako jumped in quickly. "If Ranma wins, he gets to date one of us!"

Ranma urked, and pulled back. "Uh... no, th-"

"How about Ranma chooses a date, and has a chaperone come along?" Hotaru asked quietly. Minako's eyes narrowed, then she nodded agreement. As did Usagi and Rei. Makoto looked across at the new woman, Mitsuki. She was nodding almost imperceptibly, her eyes locked on the male amrtial artist. Ranma finally agreed also.

"But what about her?" he asked, nodding at Rei.

Rei wondered a moment. "If I win... you build me a shrine." She jerked her head over towards the flat area off to the west of the dorm buildings. "Over there."

"That's it?" Ranma asked, confused. Rei nodded. "Ah well. I'm ready."

Usagi held up a handkerchief. "When this hits the ground, the match starts. No broken bones, no killing blows, no serious injuries," Usagi said, glaring at Rei, adding in a hiss, "We need him to keep fixing the place up!" She had a quick thought. "Punch up his face!" Ranam gave her a weird look, and she dropped the handkerchief.

It fluttered to the ground, and the moment it touched with the dirt, Rei leaped forward, limbs blurring in movement as she sped towards Ranma. Usagi gasped and took a step back - Rei was going all out. This had to be a matter of honour, her friends had insulted it and now she had to prove she was the best.

Ranma folded his arms and yawned.

He didn't even seem to move, but Rei was suddenly rocketing backwards through the air. There was a moment she felt shock, then anger, and her feet planted into the ground, skidding her to a halt just millimetres from the ring's outline. Ranma still yawned, and stretched as if tired. That wasn't right. He hadn't moved!

Ranma tossed a glance over at Usagi. "Are we just using hands and feet and body parts in this?"

Usagi gaped. "Wha? No weapons!"

Ranma gave her a whitering look. "I mean, can we use special abilities?"

Rei gave Usagi a quick glance. Usagi shrugged. "Up to you guys. If you do, though, Rei's got you cold."

Ranma noted the smug remark, and turned back to face Rei. "Up to you. I, uh, don't like to fight girls much, so, uh, if you want to beef up your attacks or somethin', I'll try and go easy on ya."

The impudence of this character! Rei stood up straight. "May I go prepare?"

"How long will that take?"

"Less than half a minute."

"Rei..." Makoto added under her breath, warningly.

Rei turned to her friend. "He outmatches me right now. And he's just playing with me!'

"You're sure?"

"Yes! Did you see him move?" Makoto shook her head. "It felt like a freight train hit me, though!"

"Ah."

Ranma finished considering. "Yeah, go for it. If you don't mind me using some of my special techniques." Rei shook her head, and Ranma nodded, waiting with arms folded as Rei stepped out of the ring and stepped inside. Ranma noted a flash of light around the closed door and shuttered windows, and wondered why Rei was playing around with the lights. But the door opened a moment later, and Rei stepped out again, wrapping her shirt back up tightly. At least, Ranma assumed it was her. "Rei?"

The teenaged woman nodded, and Ranma nodded also - yeah, he could see it was her now. Makoto slapped her face. "He's going to know who you are now if he ever sees you in you-know-what," she hissed. Rei shrugged it off.

"He'll never get the chance." She turned towards Ranma. "Are you ready?"

"Always."

Rei gave a wild scream, and started running at Ranma again. He noticed she was faster now, more agile, and her power levels had gone up considerably. He dodged her first punch, bending over at his waist almost completely backwards, then brought his legs up under her torso and wrapped them around her waist, straightening his body, then slamming her down into the ground. Rei bounced, but got up again.

"Is that the best you can do?"

"No," Ranma countered, "but is that the best you can do?" He jumped another punch, ducked a kick, then threw two punches, each of which caught Rei in pressure points that should have slowed her considerably. But they didn't do much more than make her angry. She returned with a devastating kick that Ranma caught on his forearms, and he found himself sliding backwards with great speed on the ground. He dug his toes in and leaped forward, just clear of the ring's boundary. He returned with a slower version of the amarguriken, so as not to seriously injure the girl, but she held up under the onslaught. She couldn't block all the punches, but she got a good half of them.

Rei leaped back, and held her fingers up. "Mars fire ignite!" Flames leaped towards Ranma, swirling outward from a central point. Rei jumped again, while Ranma dodged her first blast, and fired again. The martial artist dodged the senshi's second attack - which put him in the perfect place for a kick to the gut. Ranma sagged, but still rolled away from the elbow dropping from above. He needed to get his breath back, and quick. He noticed Rei was setting up for another fire blast, and he leaped upwards. The roll of fire flashed towards him - and he gave a ki blast through his legs, keeping him in front of the fire.

Rei pointed as he passed the line. "He's outside the boundary!"

Usagi shrugged. "His feet haven't touched the ground yet."

Rei gaped, then set off another two blasts.

Ranma dodged both with ease, his breath back, and fired a ki blast to fire him straight back down at Rei. Once he got close enough, he shouted, "Katsu tenshin amarguriken!" and slamed fists and feet forwards towards the girl. They impacted with rapidity all up one side of her body - and while she was superhumanly strong, the repeated attacks wore away at her defences, and she started to feel real pain.

It was about this point Rei realised she was still outmatched. She could pull out more powerful attacks, but she felt Ranma was keeping a lid on his own attacks to make sure he didn't seriously harm her - and while he was tiring, so was she. Rei bit her tongue, and made her as-yet most prudent move in the fight.

She stepped out of the ring.

For a brief moment, she feared Ranma wouldn't stop the flashing of his fists, but as soon as one foot touched the ground outside the ring, he stopped punching. He then smiled, and held out a hand.

"That was a good fight," he said.

Rei took the offered hand, not quite able to meet his eyes, nor the eyes of her friends. "Um... yes. Thank you for sparring with me." She hurried inside. Minako rolled her eyes and headed inside after her.

Hotaru clapped, and Usagi handed her 200 yen grudgingly. "I told you sempai would win," Hotaru grinned.

Makoto walked over towards Ranma. "That was a really good fight," she said. "You're as good as you say you are."

"I don't like boasting," Ranma replied. "Well, much." He raised his hand to behind his head in embarrassment and gave a weak laugh. "She's a good fighter, though. I wonder why she holds back so much?"

"She was outmatched," Makoto shrugged. "She knew that. To go all out would have hurt you, and her, and us. And I think maybe she thought you might be able to return whatever she could dish out."

"Still... she looks very familiar," Ranma mused.

Usagi entered into the conversation. "So who are you taking on your date?"

"Eh?"

The blond tapped her foot impatiently. "You were going on a date if you won?"

"A d-d-date? With a g-g-girl?"

"Yeah." Usagi glared. "Hey, you're not... er, that way inclined are you?"

Mitsuki rolled her eyes and snorted. "Oh, Miss Tact herself." The younger girl squeezed her eyes shut and poked her tongue out at the older woman. "Really mature, Princess."

Usagi bit her tongue. "Ouch! Whad dad? Pweenzeth?"

Stretching, Mitsuki stood. "So pick who your date and chaperone are already, Ranma." She folded her arms to wait.

"Uh..." Ranma got this vacant look to his eyes, and inside his mind, was running through fields of flowers with Ukyou holding one hand and Akane the other, singing and dancing.

The purple-haired woman sighed, and walked inside. "I'll be his date. Hotaru, you can chaperone." She shut the door behind her.

"Uh..." La la la...

Usagi and Makoto exchanged glances. Ami looked up from her palmtop. "Have I missed the fight already?"

******

Ranma wasn't sure what to wear - he wasn't sure what they were doing. But Hotaru seemed to be looking forward to this eargerly, so he decided to try and make it as special as he could for the younger girl. He settled on a tuxedo his father had bought somehow (he suspected Nabiki's hand in this somewhere) for his aborted wedding a while back, giving it a quick dust and trying it on. Yeah, still fit. That's good. There was a light tap on his door.

"Sempai?"

"Hotaru-chan?"

"Uh... sempai... I... uh... can you carry me down the stairs?"

"Yeah, 'course I can, Hotaru-chan." Big brother indeed. But truth be told, Ranma was enjoying it. Hotaru was almost what he wished Akane had been - not the violent tomboy who routinely got the wrong end of the stick (figuratively - it was Ranma who often got it literally). He smiled to himself, picturing Akane with Hotaru's personality. "She'd have been much cuter then," he murmured, sighing.

Outside the door, Hotaru froze. She'd be much cuter if she did what? What could she do to make Ranma-sempai notice her? She turned, to find Minako standing there, looking bright and happy.

"So you got the date? That's good, Hotaru-chan! Can I help you get ready?"

Hotaru brightened, and nodded - if anyone knew how to make someone love you, Minako was it. The constant procession of boyfriends in her life showed that amply.

******

Mitsuki stared into the mirror, her damp hair clumping around her head. What to do with it? she wondered. She didn't even know what she'd wear. Right now, she was wrapped in a towel - just having stepped out of the bath. But what to wear? How to look? What did she need to do before leaving? One good thing about a chaperone along was she didn't need condoms on the off-chance something might happen.

She doubted it would, but a girl needed protection these days, just in case.

She wasn't sure Ranma knew what one was. He thusly seemed oblivious to girls, apart from something that was soft and to be kept safe. She noticed he'd still pulled his amarguriken punches and kicks some in the final round of battle outside... Rei would have had the upper hand in how much she could soak up before Ranma gave up from pain... but his speed and agility and skill... and yes, talent she had seen years ago, all combined to make him deadly in combat. He could likely drop a senshi in combat before she could drop him. One, maybe two... three, even at a stretch, but likely no more than that.

Then the superhuman endurance and pain barriers would work against him, and fighting a number of women with abilities strong enough to rip worlds apart would tip the scales in the senshi's balance.

She shook her head. Why was she working out how to fight him, how to beat him? She wasn't intending to kill him or anything, only injure -

Mitsuki caught herself again. Dammit. No, not this time, she promised herself. This time, she'd be normal. It had been a long time since she had last been on a date.

She was pleased one of her old friends had sent her a postcard recently, telling her that he was off soft foods now, and the doctors thought they had his skull wired back properly this time. And he even recognised her photo!

The only reason she hadn't been charged, or rather, convicted, was that no one could believe a fourteen year old girl would crush a young man's skull like a polystyrene cup.

That had been about the time Mitsuki had tried to haul her excesses in. Sometimes, she was good with it. Other times... well, construction crews certainly earned their living in places she lived.

Sighing, she left the mirror, and headed for her wardrobe, to find something to wear.

******

Across town, in a dark alley, two figures stood. One of them was injured, holding her stomach with a hand once human, now scaled with large claws instead of fingers. Her eyes glowed a faint red in the darkness, and that small light hinted at patterns on her cheeks. She wore the remains of a nurse's uniform.

Beside her, crouched over a prone figure, was a black thing. The creature was about the size of a five year old child, with a shiny black coating that seemed to be almost liquid in its form. White burning eyes glared out angrily at the world as it fed on the homeless person beneath it, gore dripping from a fanged mouth that had no lips. The eyes of the man below were glazed, rolled back up into the skull, a hideous look of pain and agony and fear etched into his face that would forever leave a mark on those who looked upon it.

It gave a small growl, and Umiko looked down, then wrapped a human hand around its head. "There, there," she soothed, in a voice still remarkably human. "We'll get you all better. Then we'll get them, you'll see."

The thing growled again.

"You want more troops?"

It nodded. 

"We can do that." Umiko paused, and looked out of the alleyway. A tomcat strutted past, tail up in the air. "Here, puss puss puss," she called. The cat looked in, sniffed and smelt food, and headed into the darkness.

Umiko grabbed it by the scruff of its neck, and held it up. The cat hissed and turned, trying to scratch the thing that had it - but couldn't. The creature lifted a hand to Umiko's free one, passed her something it had extracted from its body - a black crystal - which the woman inserted into the tom's head. The cat hissed and yowled again before falling silent. Noticeably, its claws enlarged.

The former nurse grinned, and put the cat down. The black thing growled, and the tom smirked, then ran off. Just before it disappeared around the corner, Umiko watched its lower back shoot three rows of spines out and claws burst from its tail.

******

Ranma waited in the front lounge for the two women, a little nervous, which was showing in his impatience. "Where are they?" he asked.

"Still getting ready," Ami replied. 

Usagi just stared. "He fits that tuxedo better than Mamo-chan..." she murmured to himself. Makoto looked over.

"Stop drooling, Usagi."

"I am not drooling!"

Ranma looked around for Rei, but she was nowhere to be seen. "Uh... is Rei all right? I mean, I haven't seen her since -"

"She's fine," Makoto assured him. "She'll be back to normal in a few days. Let her get her ego around the fact there's a better martial artist around."

A door opened down the hall, and Ranma turned. Hotaru stepped out, her hair shiny and held in place with a small silver hairclip running alongside both temples. The dress was a light brown, spreading out off her hips and ending halfway down her shin. The front wasn't low-cut, something Ranma was grateful for, he found. She was very nervous herself.

"Does this look all right, sempai?"

Ranma nodded, speechless. Regardless of her age, Hotaru looked very attractive in the dress and done up that way. Another door opened, and Ranma could hear footsteps.

Around a corner in the hall behind Hotaru stepped Mitsuki. Her purple hair was tied up almost in a traditional Japanese style, but she was dressed in a strapless black dress that reached halfway down her thighs. She had a small black purse slung over a shoulder, and her makeup was impecable. Even Minako was impressed - this clearly outshone her work on Hotaru.

She felt a little bit uncomfortable with that revelation.

Mitsuki stepped demurely towards Ranma, and wrapped an arm around his, pressing her body up against the edge of his. She gave Ranma's body an appreciative test-squeeze, and sighed. Perhaps she should have packed the condoms. Mitsuki turned back to Hotaru, who looked horrified and a little upset. "Are we ready to go?"

Ranma nodded, not trusting his voice around either of the girls. They exited, and Ranma carried Hotaru down the stairs to the road. "Where to?" he asked, as he hailed a taxi.

******

Dinner looked to be lovely, and Ranma had to learn quickly how to use knives and forks. Somehow, this didn't seem to be much of a prize. Oh yeah, the girls looked beautiful - but this was a pricey restaurant, and he could see his first pay covering this meal with nothing left over to send back to the Tendo's dojo. Oh well. He'd agreed to it (he couldn't remember why) and he wasn't going to spoil the nights of Mitsuki and Hotaru.

They sat either side of him, and exchanged light conversation. Ranma felt a foot on his, and looked at Mitsuki. She glanced at him, innocently and confused, then a little angry. Hotaru blushed and pulled her foot back before Ranma could check and see who's it was. Maybe it was the wine Ranma had ordered for everyone? Had to be. She was feeling a little... restless.

Mitsuki was too, apparently. She was leaning over on the table right now, giving Ranma a generous view. "So, Ranma. How did your training trips go? I've noticed you seem to have learnt a lot in the time you've been gone."

"Training trips?" Ranma asked, eyebrows furrowing together. "How did you-"

But a crash from the kitchen caused him to break off. He whipped his head around - so did Hotaru and Mitsuki - as he felt something in there that really shouldn't have been. "Awww no, not now, not again!"

A cat-like creature the size of a tiger burst through the kitchen doors, growled, and turned to face Ranma's table. The restaurant went silent.

And then the screams began.

SAILOR MOON SAYS:

Okay. Chapter 4. Didn't get as much done of the date as I thought... oh well. Heating up a bit now... check back in a few days for the next chapter :)


	6. Truth - Chapter 5

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff. Existing characters are properties of the people who made them up. Mitsuki, and several other characters are mine, and so's the story, hence ownership and copyright of them belongs to me. Contact me at domino@linksnet.nu if you want permission to use anything I've written for whatnot purposes.

BAD LANGUAGE ALERT!

GRAPHIC VIOLENCE ALERT!

TRUTH

by

Raymond Cooper

Chapter 5

** Hello Kitty **

Screaming. Like from a little girl.

Strangely enough from the young man in the tuxedo, sitting on the table and doing a very rapid crab backwards, looking for a wall to press his back up against. "CAT!" Ranma howled.

Yeah, sure, everyone else was screaming - but Hotaru had seen Ranma in action against creatures that gave off much more strength than this - and he hadn't panicked this way then. Hotaru barely noticed Mitsuki had left the table also, but the older woman was moving more towards a series of potted plants that gave some cover from prying eyes. Hotaru grabbed Ranma, but instead of dragging him off as she planned, his hand clamped down on her arm and he dragged her back towards the wall. Damn. Even worse, she couldn't seem to break his grip!

She gave a quick look around. No one - everyone else had cleared out by this time. Ranma's hand was hurting her arm where it was gripping, and she couldn't break free. Oh well. He knew who she was, and surely if he saw and remembered anything, he'd be rather impressed with the young woman beside him. Well, it was one surefire way to see if there was any chance of anything. "Saturn planet power make up!"

Explosion of light. Noise. And a Cat. A tom Cat. 

That was what Ranma knew. Then strong fingers pried his claws off something, something soft, something he vaguely recalled to be a cute plaything. No matter. There was a Cat here. A dirty tom, marking his territory. Ranma leaped forward, claws outstretched, for the Cat's eyes.

He didn't make it close. The Cat raised a hand, and an unearthly wind knocked him into a wall on the other side of the restaurant. Ranma slid down the wall, making a weird meowing sound followed by a groan.

Saturn blinked at the cat-like Ranma, watching him spring from her side and get slammed across the room. As he slid out of sight, she felt heat rise within her - anger, pure and simple. Her hate-filled eyes snapped back around to the creature throwing off Dark Kingdom energy, and she stepped forward.

The slavering beast raised a hand. "Halt, please, fair lady. It would do you no great service to engage me in a base melee brawl."

That stopped Saturn long enough for her to forget why she was angry. "What?"

"I was merely ruminating you might find me to be a stronger adversary than you suspect, child, and that a hasty engagement might be detrimental to your health."

"Do your kind *always* talk this much?" a very angry voice cut through the still air in the restaurant. Both the cat-beast and Saturn looked over towards the voice - and there was the black-suited senshi, looking very pissed off. That seemed to be about par for this woman, Saturn thought. And yes, some part of her mind noted, she appeared after Mitsuki had left. She *had* to be the new senshi.

What was even more interesting - and upsetting to Saturn - was seeing an injured Ranma curling around her feet, rubbing the sides of his face up along her boots and down to her toes. The senshi looked a bit unsettled at this action - and Saturn herself realised that Ranma was acting... yeah. Something had to be going on there. She'd have to remember to ask him later.

The cat-creature was surprised momentarily. "Another member of your erroneously oft-exagerrated clan? Most interesting. This incident is most fortuitous - for now I have gained the chance to truly test my mettle in battle!" He struck a pose.

The new Sailor gave a confused glance at Saturn. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Do they always talk this much?"

Saturn stared.

"Nevermind." The new senshi turned, and raised her hands. "Nemesis arctic fire!" A blast of fire and ice sped across the room. In true cat fashion, though, the creature dodged, and the senshi found him sitting up on a table, preening himself and rubbing a paw behind his ears. He stopped, and looked at the older woman, surprised.

"Oh my apologies, my lady, was... I supposed to accept that gift in the manner you indicated?"

"You're mocking me," the woman growled through gritted teeth.

"And my dear," the cat purred, "you make it so easy."

The woman snapped, and leapt towards the cat. Her left foot snapped out in a kick to the cat's stomach, followed up by two powerful punches to his neck, a headbutt and a knee to the groin.

Or rather, that would have been the case if the cat hadn't dodged every single move the senshi made. After the second kick, her centre was open momentarily, and the cat flicked a paw upwards. Dark energies travelled with his hand, and the combined force smashed the woman into the ceiling, where she stayed a moment before crashing to the ground. Even then, she started to stand up. But the cat stepped forward, and turned around, dropped down onto his hands, and thrust both legs out into her side.

The wind went out of the senshi, and she smashed backwards out of control, slamming through a wall beside Saturn.

Ranma watched, unconcerned, licking his hands and preening behind his ears. But Saturn noticed... his eyes never seemed to leave the other senshi... nor did they leave her. He was waiting. But waiting for what?

Saturn didn't have time to think about that as the cat jumped at her, swiping with both paws. She used her glaive to parry the blows, then returned with a thrust, finally swinging the end around to try and smash the cat around the head. But it dodged the thrust and ducked the swing, and returned with a paw to the stomach. The blow lifted Saturn off her feet, and smashed her into the wall also. But the other senshi was up now, and moving. Strong, Saturn noted, likely stronger than her. But... also untrained. As if use of her powers and strength was something she wasn't used to. Strange, for one so powerful to have so little idea of what to do with it.

"You!" the woman yelled. "Yes, you!" she added, as the cat's head snapped around to face her. "You stupid cat," she snarled. "I'm stronger than that! I'm Sailor Nemesis! And I'm gonna wipe this floor with your ass before this is finished!"

"You will be most welcome to attempt to fulfill that prophecy, my lady," the cat sneered politely, "Yet you are not strong enough - nor fast enough - to defeat me."

"We'll see," Nemesis returned, before leaping at the cat. Again, she tried a snap-kick, then two punches, and the groin kick.

"Tsk tsk," the cat smirked. "You still left yourself open." He threw a punch at her opening.

But Nemesis had a smirk on her face herself, and the cat realised too late that she had indeed the opening blocked - she snapped her leg down on his arm, trapping him in place momentarily while she raised her hands. "Nemesis arctic fire!"

The blast hit the cat square in the face, and he shied away from the raw energy instinctively. Fur singed, and his eyelids shrivled, revealing dried white globes thrusting forward from his ruined face. The blast hit his shoulders in the main after he pulled away, and the flesh on one shoulder was melted down to toughened muscle and bone. But the arm, amazingly, wstill worked. The cat-thing pulled away from Nemesis, and growled, a deep tone in his throat. He was angry now, and in pain, and all pretence at niceness was stripped away, and all that was left was the raw anger and power that made this mutated cat a powerful killer.

He leapt at Nemesis, his paws flicking slightly and extending twenty centimetre claws, which he slashed once, twice, through Nemesis' torso. The senshi blinked in surprise, staring down at her stomach. Her fuku bulged where the claws passed, then tore, spilling her entrails on the floor. She followed, the look of surprise still on her eyes.

Ranma let out a low, quiet yowl that the cat didn't notice.

Saturn gaped, and spun her glaive. The wounds weren't fatal - not yet, not if she could get to the senshi. But she was hurt herself, and slow, and the cat was eyeing her up. It leapt -

- and Saturn suddenly saw a flash of black pass her eyes.

"Ranma?" she said, turning to follow the flight of the man throwing the cat-thing across the room, following after it. But she had no time to watch the battle, all that was important now was the senshi who was still unable to believe what had happened.

Nemesis looked up at Saturn with shock in her eyes, blood bubbling from her lips. Saturn pushed her down, and began her work of casting subtle magicks that would pull skin together and return things to where they were supposed to belong - this would be a stretch, a very taxing effort. But Nemesis tried to pull herself upright again. "How - what -?"

"Shhh," Saturn said, pushing Nemesis back down again. "Ranma's taking care of it."

There was a hiss, and Saturn was tempted to look over, but didn't. Nemesis, however, had the perfect view of the tuxedo-clad man fighting the cat creature.

Ranma was crouched several metres distant from the beast, yet each casual flick of his hand was opening up new wounds on the creature. Red lines criss-crossed the body of the thing, but he wasn't out of the fight yet. He threw a punch at Ranma - the punch missed, but the dark energy behind it didn't.

Ranma was thrown backwards, almost back to touch Saturn's feet. The cat sprang after him, but Neko-Ranma jumped straight back at the tom, meeting him halfway and tangling in a fight that led Ranma's jacket to be ripped to shreds, but also caused the tom to lose the use of an arm and a leg, a ripped artery in his throat, and a hole in his chest that whistled whenever he breathed. Ranma smirked - Nemesis swore he did. And then he delivered the coup de grace - both hands swinging up from low and rising upwards and outwards until his hands were high above his head.

The cat's guts spilled out everywhere, much as... oh god, much as her own had...

Nemesis passed out.

******

Saturn noticed Nemesis fall unconscious, and her change fell away from her - a sign of how injured the woman really was. Yes, indeed, Saturn was right. This was Mitsuki, the woman who had claimed she would be Ranma's date for the night. This gave Saturn pause - Ranma was hers. That had to be it. He was nice, he was cute, he paid attention to her! To *her*, not her skirt, not her chest, not her backside and not even her planet, but *her*. Hotaru Tomoe.

She had to admit, though, she was fairly young. Too young to seriously hope to capture Ranma's heart just yet. But hey, this was Japan, and weirder things had happened (and regularly did, as she well knew). Hadn't Minako had older boyfriends when she was younger? Of course she had! Why couldn't Hotaru?

But for now, that was a moot point. She had other things to concentrate on. She heard the sound behind her of a zip, and made to turn, but Mitsuki touched her hand lightly. "Don't."

"What?"

The voice had been filled with... tenderness. Sadness, too, that was directed at... herself? "Don't look."

"Why not?"

Mitsuki managed a small chuckle. "He just fought a tom cat. He's one himself. What do you think he's doing? Ranma's marking his territory."

Oh. Yeah. Saturn nodded. "Okay." She waited a moment, but couldn't hear anything more. Then she fell backwards, and somehow, Ranma was in her lap, purring, stretching. Her fuku and skirt didn't cover nearly enough for this to be considered decent, something Mitsuki was confirming with her smirk and laughter in her eyes, and so Saturn let her own change slip. Her dress was slightly tattered now, as her uniform had been, but it covered down over her knees at least. She began stroking Ranma's back, a little self-consciously, and blushed, embarrassed to be doing this. "Sempai..." she breathed, as she stroked. Somehow, she knew this was maybe as close as she would ever come to holding Ranma in her arms.

She really hoped this was one of those silly feelings brought on by the heat of the moment. She liked this feeling, and would love to try it again, in more comfortable surroundings, in more comfortable clothes. Like her big fleecy cotton pyjamas. And Ranma could be dressed like Tuxedo Kamen... her own special prince from the Silver Millennium.

Mitsuki leaned forward, sitting upright for the first time since passing out, and checked her stomach. Her dressed was ripped in four parallel lines across her stomach, but otherwise seemed to be okay. Even the blood had faded out. She reached out to give Ranma a scratch behind his ears for a job well done, but he hissed, and got his back up. When his nails dug into Hotaru's thigh, she backed off, and headed home. Hotaru and a somewhat confused Ranma followed minutes later, Ranma's hand behind his head, wondering what had just happened... and wondering why his fly was open.

And more to the point, why was Hotaru-chan grinning like an idiot, floating along on cloud nine, with a deep blush right across her face?

******

The next morning, Ranma woke before dawn, as usual. He stepped outside, in his normal training gi, and stood ready to do his morning training routine. He started one kata, then moved smoothly into another, not breaking stride even though his muscles felt tired, joints sore, and he had a number of small scratches and holes poked in him. He hadn't let Hotaru heal them since she looked so drained by the time they had reached the dorm the night before, but he surmised he'd entered the Nekoken at some point the night before... he suspected that would take some explaining.

Mitsuki had already been home when they got there, in the hot springs. Hotaru had joined her, to leave again minutes later and have a hot bath instead. Ranma had wondered about that, but was deadly tired himself.

He moved into another kata, and noticed a shadow behind him. He turned when he reached that moment of his routine - Rei. To be expected after he had trounced her so easily the day before. He had been considering offering to teach her, but seeing his father hadn't been quite the best teacher, he was worried to take on students himself. Rei knew how to handle herself, though, and was copying his movements a scant quarter second after he made them.

But there was a second shadow there. Mitsuki, he saw a moment later. She also was working on Ranma's routine. Not as good as Rei was, but still... she looked as if she had had some practise, some experience, within the art before. Her eyes her nervous, yet challenging at the same time. She dared him to say something, to make something of it.

Ranma completed his half-turn to face the front doors to the dorm before continuing this segment. Kick, punch, side block, punch - and the door opened.

Hotaru exited, shutting the door behind her. Dressed in tights, shorts and a t-shirt, with a sweatband tied around her head. She took up position on the other side of Rei from Mitsuki, and looked at Ranma expectantly. "Sempai?"

"Yes, Hotaru?" Ranma's voice was quiet, working this through himself. He had a school, apparently.

"Please don't be angry. I want to learn to be a better fighter. Like you."

Ranma started. This sounded more like her Saturn persona than the girl he had known. He glanced at Rei. Her eyes were hard... determined... but there was something in them, a fire that wasn't going to be put out unless he gave the word. And Mitsuki showed the same glare.

"Don't look at me," she shrugged. "My father was supposed to teach me, but... anyway, you can teach me now."

And that was it. The decision had been made, and not by him. Oh well... he could live with it, he guessed. Ranma continued to face his class, and began his first lesson.

SAILOR MOON SAYS:

A short part this time. This fic continues to surprise me... usually, I determine an end point, and work towards that. This time, I've merely said I want this to happen, but other than that, here's the characters, here's what they want, who they are. Play nicely in the sandpit now.

It's interesting. And I hope going towards a lot of interesting character pieces... I'm really liking this :)

/end ego trip

Next time: Love Hino. Need I say more?


	7. Truth - Chapter 6

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff. Existing characters are properties of the people who made them up. Mitsuki, and several other characters are mine, and so's the story, hence ownership and copyright of them belongs to me. Contact me at domino@linksnet.nu if you want permission to use anything I've written for whatnot purposes.

Warning: in the concern of public safety, this chapter has the following warning affixed to it - this chapter is written from the point of view of Rei Hino. As such, some of the themes presented are of an adult nature (sex, violence, humour, language, themes) and may not be suitable for viewing by young audiences. You have been warned.

Translation of warning: there is lime/lemon stuff in this part. If you don't like that kinda, I suggest skipping this chapter. It won't be a regular occurance, popped out of nowhere while writing the story, so I ran with it (yeah, yeah, Misatokitty no baka hentai and the rest ;)

TRUTH

by

Raymond Cooper

Chapter 6

** Love Hino **

"Hai!"

I bring by bokken down towards his, and it bounces. I shift my grip on the hilt slightly before the blade could travel too far from Ranma's, and brought it down again, sliding it towards the hild guard, where I could trap his bokken. That completed, I shift my weight off by back foot to my front, and swing the back foot up to tangle Ranma's legs with a light kick.

Or rather, I would have, if not for the fact he was now squatting on my bokken. Surprisingly, I didn't feel any weight on there, almost as if he was attempting one of his other ki tricks he's been showing off. His bokken's tip was right at my nose. "Gotcha," he said with a smirk. I was hideously enbarrassed.

Embarrassed thought I was, I still had my dignity - losing my temper would probably be more trouble than it was worth, seeing as he was the only sensei I could learn something off who was local. So I slid my practise bokken through hoops attached to my training gi, and bowed from the hips. I held it momentarily longer than Ranma did his - exactly what I should do for my sensei.

"Good workout today, Rei. Gotta say, using one of these things isn't as easy as Kuno always made it look." Ranma ran his fingers thoughtfully up the blade. I look at him, just wearing the pants of his gi, and wonder - why not challenge him to another round? After all, there's no sweat on his finely muscled body... it's like I haven't even challenged him at all. I *know* I can do better than that, so why haven't I been able to do it in the week since we started doing this?

I turn, and walk towards the edge of the plateau the dormitory is built on, where there are some large rocks we girls occasionally use to sun ourselves (well, Usagi, Makoto and Minako do - Ami, Hotaru and I are usually busy elsewhere, or practising our katas), and grab a clean white towel. It feels nice and fluffy against my skin, and soaks off my sweat rather well. I turn, and watch Ranma do the same, grabbing a towel from the rocks himself and wiping his brow, and not his chest, which is shining in the morning sunlight. He smiles up at Hotaru with an easy grin. I feel a twinge in my chest - I must have overdone it this morning, pulled a muscle or something. A quick massage fixes that little annoying pain.

I change the direction of my gaze to the small training area we'd sketched out with our feet. We'd done it the other morning, when Ranma had learnt enough of my technique to work on teaching me things I might be better at using.

He's not showing me how to use his ki techniques yet. But I notice he's not using them in our sparring, either... he's being very honourable about this. So, I am doing my best, also. I don't want to transform again to fight him - like I did that first time. As Sailor Mars, I hold more power than Ranma does, but I have less control of what power I do have, and he is faster, more agile.

By the time one of my special attacks has gotten to where he was, he's behind me. I want him to teach me how to do that.

Hotaru is sitting on the rocks, up behind me. She's almost on the edge of the rocks, with her back to the glorious view of the prefecture. I follow her interested gaze... Ranma. She's staring at her sempai. My sensei. Which relationship takes precedence in this situation? I mean, he's my teacher - he's her idol! If I need him, can I have him?

Hold on, what? What did I just -

Don't think about it, Rei... you're not interested in him. Although I do think it's weird Makoto hasn't yet given mention that Ranma reminds her of her ex-boyfriend... 

Hotaru's eyes are still watching Ranma, and she blushes whenever he looks up at her. He gives her a smile, nice, tender. Big-brotherishy. She'll be calling him 'big brother' soon enough... or at least, that's what he thinks. You can see it in his face. He thinks she's great, but at 16, she's a little too young for him. I can see that. Usagi can see that, but she's been swayed by Minako, who thinks they'd be a cute couple. Ha! Saturn, settle down? She was *born* to destroy. And she's going to destroy any chance she's got, what with these little "Sempai sempai sempai!"'s she gives all the time.

It sickens me. She doesn't even have the guts to stand up and fight for him!

Mitsuki, sitting next to Hotaru but looking the other way, over the prefecture, she had stepped in a week ago to date Ranma, and little Hotaru-chan hadn't said anything about that. Hadn't tried to stop it... although she could have - Saturn is more powerful than some hussy with a weird personality.

I wonder what blood type she is? I'll have to ask Nanami at university later today.

Mitsuki... now she's a mystery to me, and to the other senshi. I think Hotaru knows more, but she won't say. She just gives her a look that says, I know you, and that's it. Mitsuki... acts hot and cold. I can't understand it. Almost as if she hears voices, or has other personalities, and I'm not sure which is the case - she just does some really weird things!

For example, a little over a week ago, she slammed a door on Ranma's foot. After apparently wanting a kiss goodnight - so Hotaru has intimated. He didn't give it, she slammed his foot in her door. A couple of days later (I saw this) Ranma knocked on the door to the women's hot springs. He called out - he had maintenance to carry out. He had his tools and everything. And there was no response from within. I walked up behind him, and pushed the door open for my new sensei... he thanked me, and stepped inside.

Mitsuki was standing, completely nude, on the edge of the springs, in water halfway up her stomach. Her hands were at her sides, and she cocked her head with a questioning gaze at Ranma - who promptly paniced, apologised profusely and took off. I suspect he's had bad experiences with girls in baths or springs before, so fast did he leave. I feel sorry for him. She'd obviously set this up, had manipulated events to get him in there in time to see her... naked?

That can't be it all, though... I know Ranma has some aversion to women at the moment... I don't know what. But when he bumps into one of us outside of training... he panics. As if he expects us to hit him. And hit him hard.

Not that it's not an option. I've found him... well, on places of mine I'd rather keep close to my chest if you get my drift. By complete accident. Usagi's roller skates at the top of the stairs, for example... and he's been in Hotaru-chan's lap before - last night, when Minako had tried to pull him out of his pants as he walked past her and give him 'the right idea,' Minako had said afterwards, cross when it hadn't worked. He jumped back like he'd been burnt with hot water (or cold - he has a strange aversion to that, I've noticed), but Hotaru just smiled, blushed, and muttered, "Oh sempai, later," like it was nothing!

Ranma had gone bright red, and run out of the lounge quickly. Usagi had fallen off her chair laughing. "Mamo-chan wouldn't have jumped away like that!" she howled.

Which was when I asked just how intact Usagi's honour was. She'd also gone bright red, and made excuses and left the lounge also.

I found her sitting in a cold bath with an ice pack on her head a few hours later, steam rising from the interactions between her flesh and the water. She looked angry. I guessed her honour isn't very intact at all.

But she told me before going to bed last night, Mamoru is coming over in a few days. Oh gee, that'll be fun. I think Usagi needs to have her boyfriend-cum-lover around a little to keep her mind off Ranma.

But Mitsuki... yeah. She's a mystery. Why is she doing this to him? That's what I can't understand. Ranma's said he thinks she knows him from times long since past, but he can't remember her at all. Which disturbs him a little.

He lifts up the bokken, and places it down carefully, picking up a stick and gesturing to Hotaru. She climbs down from the rocks slowly, carefully, and picks up a long straight stick of her own. I had watched Ranma sand them down yesterday - in fact, I helped. He doesn't want to start Mitsuki or Hotaru off with bokken, would rather they get used to having something long and stiff in their hands. Er, that wasn't Ranma's. Uh! That wasn't Ranma's weapons! Yeah.

Hotaru took up a reasonable pose, and Ranma takes up a decent defensive posture in response. He invites her attack with a finger, and even as she charges, he stays still. He's a good sensei... he takes hits, lets her feel like she's not useless. Yeah, Hotaru knows that Ranma is letting her tag him, but she makes that effort, and Ranma will only let his guard slip as a reward for her efforts. I feel he does the same with me.

She tries something she's watched me do, slipping on one foot and going down in the splits - she should be glad she's wearing a dress this morning, after all, I learnt to wear looser pants after trying that the first time, several years back. Made it to school late that day and found it hard to sit down for a while - hence I learnt about the clothing you wear when training.

While down on the ground, below Ranma's immediately accessible lines of attacks, she brings the stick up between his legs. This time, Ranma doesn't let her score a tag - not that I blame him for where the stick was heading very quickly. He snaps his knees shut, grabbing the stick with his thighs. It leaps from hotaru's hand, ripping free from her fingers. She cries out in pain, and the stick flies away. Ranma's own stick then taps her on the shoulder, the neutral position he uses with Mitsuki and Hotaru-chan to tag them, in case they move forwards (so they don't poke an eye out or something, I think).

He smiles down at Hotaru, and holds a hand out. "A good match. But don't blindly copy what others do - once a method of beating that style has been devised, you could find your attacks don't hit at all. Which isn't a good thing."

Hotaru must have smiled back. She uttered the, "Sempai..." she's gotten famous for since moving in, and took his hand, head lowered, blushing furiously. It works. He pulls, and she flies up into his chest, Ranma clasping her so the poor weak little girl doesn't collapse to the ground again and get injured. Sickening. Why can't he see he's being used? Played like a fish on a line? He's fallen for her - hook, line and sinker. And the stupid bit is - he hasn't even realised it yet!

He's so stubborn. I don't know why he seems to hate women so much... when he shows such affection for us all.

He helps Makoto in the kitchen. He helps Usagi with her homework - and surprisingly, if you can catch him after dinner if there's nothing good on the television, he's pretty good - if you can get rid of all distractions. He's wired the house with a fibre optic cable for Ami's laptop and computer. Helped Minako put posters up all through her room (I think she just wanted to see him with his shirt off). He helps Hotaru around up and down stairs all the time. He's stayed away from mitsuki as best he can since the hot springs incident... but even her, he does things for. Things that we would expect no manager or caretaker of a dormitory to help us with. Dammit, we're girls! We should cook! We should clean! We should -

Ahem. I feel I've just put back the movement for recognition of women as equal to men a century with that speech. But it's stuff we like doing - and he's happy to help us! Why?

And why, if he's a guy, is he so scared about touching any of us, or seeing us naked?

Is he a virgin? Nah, not at 18, not with that body. Does he... you know, touch himself? When he's alone? I wonder... I wonder sometimes what he would do. I've had... little to do with men. I lived with my grandfather for a time, and he never explained anything to me. I saw Mamoru naked once - and Usagi nearly killed me. Now... now I don't know. I know all about sex - and... certain other things. But I'm not sure how I'll know who's the right person for me, or when is the right time. It's got to be someone I can relate to, and spend a lot of time with. Someone I can be happy with.

Maybe he's gay? I don't know how two men would have a relationship, but I assume much the same as two women. But the men I've known who love other men... they don't panic around women like Ranma does. 

I think he's been abused. By women. At some point in his life.

Hotaru finally lets go of him, and I can see he's gone somewhere else in his mind. You can tell that by the black stare in his eyes, and the slightly opened mouth. I wonder where he goes? That's a question I'll have to ask one time.

She steps back, and bows at the hips, same as me. "Sempai," she whispers, "Please, forgive me. I didn't mean to -"

Ranma holds up a hand. "Never mind, Hotaru-chan... we all learn from trying. You're learning well. I'm surprised. We'll start working on your pow-" He stops and looks up at me, noticing I'm looking directly at him, intently. "Er, on the power of your punches and stuff, next week, okay?"

Hotaru gives him a secretive look. She's told him about her abilities. Her transformation. She has to have. That's what he'd have been talking about. Damn, why'd I have to be looking *right at him* when he'd glanced up?

I look away, find something interesting in the flowerbed at the base of the rocks. Hmm. A few daisies. A pitiful attempt. Maybe I should get some roses...? Might make Mamoru a little happier. He could pick some then, rather than magically generate some for Usagi. And I vaguely remember some academy somewhere up north that was ordering in roses by the truck load... who knows what Ohtori did with them all? Maybe they still want some? It could come in handy, make some money for the dormitory for some extra special items... like Swedish masseuses for the girls. Well, for me. After a workout like this, all I want to do is... uh, not that. No, not that while everyone's awake. Have a nice hot bath.

Ranma bows, dismisses us all, and I head inside, grab some clothes and head out into the hot springs out the back. Ami's already there, as is Makoto. Both are chatting in the main spring, towels up on the rocks behind them. That's the first time I've seen Ami talk in a while. Wonder what they're chatting about? They don't notice me while I'm stripping off my sweaty workout gi, so I listen in.

"... know she's in love with him!"

Ami seems horrified that Makoto's said that. "How can you think that about her? She's so naive!"

"Ha! Naive! You don't know what she does when she thinks everyone's asleep!"

My heart catches.

"Even I know that... but she's got no idea about men! Haven't you seen her try to hit on Ranma?"

Makoto shrugs. "Yeah, I have. I guess you're right." She looks up then, and sees me step into the spring.

"Good morning, everyone," I say cheerfully. Ami looks ashen, as does Makoto. Weird. Maybe they had a tough night sleeping? The water feels momentarily hot, then cools to a pleasant warm numb surrounding my skin. I splash a little over my face and duck my shoulders under to clean off excess sweat, then find a rock to sit on, and look expectantly at my two friends.

They stay silent, still looking ill. I cock my head to one side, and look at Ami. "Ami, are you okay?" Ami nods, and both her and Makoto start to regain some colour. "You were talking about Hotaru?"

They both exchange a glance, and it almost seems like something's been decided. "Yeah, we were," Makoto says.

"And?" I ask. I want to know what Hotaru does at night. I've heard her breath catch... but she's usually just rolling over, or waking up to go to the toilet or get a drink, or something. Never what I thought it was. So I'm curious! What does Hotaru do while she thinks everyone's asleep?

"And... nothing," Ami says, a little lamely. "We only just started talking..."

"She's in love with Ranma?"

Ami and Makoto again share a glance - hell, even *I* know this one, why are they being so secretive? "Yes," Makoto says, finally.

After that, Ami changes the subject, and we start chatting about our courses at Tokyo University. I find Ami's doing well, and she's met someone she's flirting - with the manager of another dormitory, it seems, a little way around from us. From what she describes, this Keitaro is older than her, and trying to get into Todai himself. "And he's in love with someone already, so whenever I see him around the grounds... I make sure I go say hello to him. Sometimes we have lunch... and we talk about his childhood a lot." She looks a little disturbed at that.

Makoto on the other hand is enjoying her course not quite so much - but that's more fitting the lifestyle on campus into her normal routines. She's still taller than most of those she's in the class with, a source of embarrassment for her, and some guy is giving her grief - she's short enough to look up just about any skirt she wears. Even worse, he likes to touch girls. A lot. In... places. "He's really old," Makoto adds. "And really small. If you see him... throw salt on him or something. And hold on to your underwear."

I nod, understandingly. I know I won't fall prey to this fiend. I've got Ranma-

No, no I don't. Hotaru does. Mitsuki does. To an extent, so does Usagi! I don't. I've got nothing in common with him - nothing at all! He makes me sick... the way his muscles ripple under his skin... the way he moves with such strength, grace, power...

Ami and Makoto are staring at me. I slip my hands forward onto my knees, lean forward and grab control of my breathing. "What?"

Makoto says, "Why were you -"

Ami grabs her, though, and hauls her out of the spring. I'm confused. Why were I what? My eyes track them around the springs, as they wrap towels tightly around themselves and quickly head out. I don't know... oh damn. I wasn't thinking about *him*, was I? I look down. Yes. Yes I was. Damn. Damn! I try to sit on my fingers to keep them occupied elsewhere, but it doesn't work so well. Damn it. If I'm not going to get any peace from my mind or hormones, then the least I can do is keep an eye on the door. Surely Hotaru and Mitsuki want to use the springs, as well...?

I shift across to where Ami sat, having a good view of the doorway. My fingers start their business now, moving on their own. They know what I like. My eyes focus on the doorway... and I start thinking of my current favourite fantasy...

Tuxedo Kamen steps up to me, and takes me in his arms.

"Ahhhh..."

We dance a small waltz, around a huge ballroom with a giant diamond-studded disco ball hanging from the ceiling. Coloured lights are reflected off it, bouncing off the walls, the floor, making my fuku seem all sorts of exciting colours. My skirt twirls as he spins me around and we change dance styles.

"Mmm..."

And then Tuxedo Kamen lifts me up onto a bed. We're both naked, our bodoes warm and dry. He still has his mask on, but by now I've recognised who he is. He slides a hand up my side, and I shiver, and moan. It feels good. He shifts, and I wrap my legs around his waist. He moves forward, and I cry out.

There's a banging sound.

I look up, the head of the bed is banging against the wall. I can't worry about that now, this... feels... sooo... good!

The banging sound continues.

We're moving now. Really moving. I feel like I'm about to explode from my skin, it feels so good!

"Rei?"

He calls my name! I call his in return, a gasped moan as I clutch at his shoulders.

"Ranma!"

He stiffens above me, around me, all over me. 

"Rei!"

His voice is urgent now. He takes me into his arms, and I shake, moaning, then collapse. I can feel his hands on my arms, holding me tightly. Too tight, for the actions we've just been through. I look up, through eyes slitted in my pleasure.

Ranma is above me, looking down, panicked. He doesn't have the mask anymore. Where's the mask gone? I try to brush my hair out of my eyes... what? My hair's wet. Why is my hair wet? Surely I didn't sweat too mu... Ranma's clothed. I'm not. And he's got me on my back, with cold rock and sand underneath me. There's no bed. Some part of my mind realises this isn't fantasy anymore, and I wonder what... oh no... where are my fingers?

I heave my head up, and look down me. I sigh with relief: they're by my side. That's good. I'm naked... but Ranma's draped a towel over my body. Why am I lying here? I ask Ranma just that.

"I was passing by, and heard you moaning," he explains. "I thought you sounded sick, so I knocked to make sure you were okay. You just kept moaning. Then you called my name, and then I heard a thump, like you'd hit your head... all I could hear after that was the splashing of water and bubbles, as if someone were drowning. I, uh, burst in after that and pulled you out." he puts his hand behind his head, and laughs, nervously. "I'm sorry. I should have got one of the girls to -"

My hand - the one that was Ranma - reaches out and grabs his wrist. "No," I say urgently. "No. Thank you. You... saved me. Thank you, Ranma." I sit up, and give him a hug. The towel falls off, but I don't care, and Ranma's shocked into immobility. I see in his eyes he goes to wherever it is he goes to again... and I smile, and stand up.

Hotaru's in the doorway, watching, eyes wide open. Mitsuki is standing behind her, gazing over the girl's head. Her mouth has dropped. Hotaru runs off, sniffing, about to cry. Mitsuki just looks sad, lowers her head, and walks the other direction. I make a decision. Ranma... isn't mine. He can't be mine. All I've got... is myself. I look at my hand again, frown, then clench the hand into a fist and run out of the springs, wrapping my towel around me tightly.

I've got some explaining to do to a young girl with stars in her eyes.

SAILOR MOON SAYS:

Well, the one that got away. The end of this started from a joke which may yet appear. It's a nice little visual joke, so likely it will turn up.

To those who read this, and comment on Hotaru, yes, I'm quickly falling enchanted with her myself. There will be things that happen, though, that will make it hard on both Ranma and Hotaru if they choose to go down that route.

Next part: What? I haven't got that far yet! Um... more with the Dark Kingdom baby. Round two with the senshi. More of the inner senshi, since a friend is commenting the last part kinda sucked without having them in it so much. Wow. Uh... and just when the heck are Luna and Artemis gonna turn up?


	8. Truth - Chapter 7

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff. Existing characters are properties of the people who made them up. Mitsuki, and several other characters are mine, and so's the story, hence ownership and copyright of them belongs to me. Contact me at domino@linksnet.nu if you want permission to use anything I've written for whatnot purposes.

TRUTH

by

Raymond Cooper

Chapter 7

** **

"I don't love him."

"I saw."

"That was a mistake! He just saved my life!"

"You were kissing."

"It was a hug! Nothing more! It was thanks for saving my life!"

"You were *naked*! I saw!"

A sigh. Footsteps towards the door. Another sigh, closer to the door. "Hotaru, I don't... love him. Go... talk to him. It wasn't his fault."

Sobs, from inside.

******

The door opened, and Rei stepped out, clad only in a towel. Her hair was wet, and clumped down her face. She looked upset as soon as the door shut behind her, as if she had just given something very precious up. Usagi watched her go from around the corner.

"Now, what do you think that was about?"

Minako, behind her, had no answer. But it was fun being nosey. Being the senshi of love, well, that also drew her to notice things that the others hadn't quite picked up. She'd of course picked up on Hotaru's feelings right away... and also recently been picking up on tightly controlled threads from Rei. From Mitsuki, the older woman living in the house... well, no. Not a lot. Chaotic feelings, all over the place.

She had no idea why Rei had seemed to have fallen for the manager - he really didn't seem her type. But maybe his body corrupted her, or something? Minako knew it had corrupted her, she thought with an evil grin. Usagi noticed.

"What are you smiling for?"

"Oh, nothing. Just... maybe Hotaru and Rei have a thing going, you know?"

Usagi snorted. "Yeah, right. Rei doesn't go that way. Too traditional. She likes Mamo-chan."

"Ahhh," Minako nodded slyly. "Does Mamo-chan like her back these days?"

"No!" Usagi shrieked. "My Mamo-chan likes *me*!" Realising she'd been had, Usagi whapped Minako on the arm.

"Hey!"

"Stop teasing me! It's Hotaru and Rei we're talking about!"

Minako raised her eyebrows. "And they were talking about Ranma."

"You think?"

"Who else here is a 'he'? Who else here does our little Hotaru-chan have a crush on?" Minako smirked.

"That puts you out of the running then?" Usagi asked, equally smug.

"Are you interested?" Minako put in quickly. Usagi replied with another squealed response, to which the senshi of love covered Usagi's mouth and dragged her off.

******

Inside her room, Hotaru sobbed. She was very upset. Having walked in on her... her sempai - he would likely never be anything else - with a naked Rei in his arms, she knew she couldn't compete. So what did that mean? Was he still her sempai? Should she still love him? Should she, perhaps, hate him, or try and help heat up the relationship between Rei and Ranma?

Admittedly, Rei probably needed a lot of help. The reason her temper was so pronounced at times was related to the fact she wouldn't let other emotions to the fore very often - Hotaru hadn't seen Rei express interest in anyone other than Usagi's boyfriend. She'd even heard there had been some early competition there, but there seemed to be nothing there now. But what could she see in Ranma?

Well, on first thought, there was his martial arts experience. That had probably been the start point - the initial fight that had embarrassed her hideously. In response to that, Rei had had to swallow her pride to ask him to teach her, train her - and with that swallowing of pride... had probably come several thoughts. Thoughts that Rei had used... er, in the dead of night. As they had trained, Hotaru guessed that what Rei had felt had multiplied, grown, as she had more contact with the dormitory's manager.

While it hurt her to think it, Hotaru realised that Rei had also probably never fallen in love before, and falling now for the first time had confused her, and she had... what? Was there really any excuse? The other senshi *knew* Hotaru was interested in Ranma, had known it since the first time she'd laid eyes on him. Minako hadn't given up, but Hotaru thought she wasn't serious competition - she'd find someone else to fixate on soon enough. Ami wasn't into martial arts and fighting as a whole to think of Ranma much in this particular way. Usagi was extremely defensive of Mamoru... so she was likely feeling jealous that the girls weren't fixated on her boyfriend for a change. Makoto... well, she enjoyed having Ranma around, but she seemed to like him more as a friend. Rei... Rei and Mitsuki... they were Hotaru's competition.

And the tough parts of her that were Saturn... the pieces cold and hard and tightly bound and controlled lest she do something very stupid and disastrous... they were telling her the helpless routine, while not actually a routine, wouldn't work for much longer. Or if it did, he'd think of her more as a little sister. Something she didn't want. So, she needed a new plan of attack.

Hotaru wiped away her tears, hauled herself to her feet, and on shakey legs, headed into her closet to find something she'd put away...

******

Ranma paused outside Hotaru's room, hand in position to knock. He hadn't known what was happening with Rei out at the springs, but he'd heard her drowning and not doing a lot to save herself, and had burst in to save her. He hadn't seen a lot with the steaming water, but enough had been imprinted on his eyes to cover Rei with a towel before he tried to wake her. She had woken up, thanked him, and hugged him - the towel sliding off in the process. Mitsuki and Hotaru had stepped into the broken door frame then, both horrified.

Ranma could still remember Hotaru's face. He had to explain, it was all an accident, a mistake.

But as he paused... he wondered... would doing this make thing worse? In his experience, girls never, *ever* believed him when he said nothing happened, or that he hadn't done anything. Years of Akane, Ukyou, Shampoo, and countless others not believing him finally got to him, in the one time it would have paid not to.

And he remembered something else. Words, from so long ago. "Don't rely on others, okay, Ranma? They only hurt you in the end. They use you. They leave you. They don't come back. And you pay for it." How true, Ranma reflected. Hotaru had relied on him, had trusted him. And he had hurt her. So had Rei, someone else by all she displayed she had trusted. She would be hurt now, and in trying to apologise and explain Hotaru was mistaken for something she was certain she had seen - and she had seen it - well, Ranma didn't know if he could make her understand that.

So he lowered his hand, lowered his gaze, and walked outside to find something to hit until the funny tight pain in his chest went away.

******

"You want to die?" Umiko asked the young man standing before her. Her left shoulder had bulked up now, covered in light fuzz with a scale pattern underneath it. The whites of her eyes were being leeched with red colouring, spilling from capilleries. Spines were slowly tearing her nurses uniform up the back as they protruded from her vertebrae. Her left hand was fully hooked in a claw, scales running up and merging with the fuzz/scale combination at her shoulder. The sides of her mouth her growing fat as something pushed out of her gums behind her lips.

The young man in front of her was panicked now. She had looked so cute moments before, leaning up against the alley's wall in the shadows. Fantastic figure, short skirt, big bust... but... it wasn't quite not true. He just hadn't been able to see very much. Upon his eyes adjusting to the dim light, the woman he thought was a prostitute - which he was looking for, with money in his pocket - turned out to be a monster.

But what she was offering... meant he didn't need money next time he needed a prostitute. And he wouldn't need his glasses anymore, nor his bandages and he wouldn't need monthly trips to the doctor anymore, either. His life, in a nutshell, sucked. And thus, eternal life and good health sounded to him like a very good idea.

He didn't step away. Umiko narrowed her eyes, and turned to look deeper into the alleyway. "Go. Down there," she said, with a dark smirk.

The young man turned, and stepped further into the alleyway. Something up ahead moved, crawling up onto two feet, and started moving towards him. Tears started flowing from the young man's eyes, but he continued stepping slowly towards the thing in shadows, even where there was light.

Umiko didn't so much as start when the boy started screaming. She didn't feel sorry... after all, she'd soon have company. And so, she took up her position again, in the mouth of the alleyway... so as to attract more company...

******

The next morning.

Mitsuki waited outside for Ranma to begin training. He was late, by about half an hour this time. That was unusual. She headed inside to try and find Hotaru and Rei, as well. 

Hotaru's door was locked. No sound came from within. A difference from the sobbing and sounds of running water that had been heard the night before. Rei's room was clean, spotless - and empty. Ranma's room... was likewise empty. Perhaps Rei and Ranma... after all, Mitsuki had seen them locked in a naked embrace...

But no. Ranma wasn't like that. At least, that was Mitsuki's read on the situation. He would be Hotaru's, if for no other reason than the little bitch was willing to play dirty.

Not that Mitsuki wanted much to do with him. Just wanted something to scratch an itch every now and then.

She mentally chastised herself - that was dangerous, she *knew* that. Last time... well, it had been close. And that was the closest she'd ever come. It would *not* happen again.

But still...

Where were they? She climbed up to the roof. Ranma hadn't finished repairing it yet - Mitsuki suspected so he had somewhere quiet to go when he wanted to be alone. There was a figure sitting up there, though, on the highest point. Not Ranma. Rei. She was meditating, sitting cross-legged, watching the sun rise above Tokyo, below them. She looked very sad, and Mitsuki thought she knew why. Usagi had been talking the night before a little too loudly to Ami and Makoto (both of whom were trying to do homework and study) about what Rei had said to Hotaru the day before. Obviously, she was denying her own feelings... but why? For how long? Could she keep it up?

There seemed to be something wrong with Rei's face in the sunlight, Mitsuki couldn't make out what it was until she called out, and Rei wiped at her eyes and cheeks with the cuff of the shirt she was wearing.

"How long have you been up here?" Mitsuki asked.

"Since about two AM," Rei said, sounding distant. "I couldn't sleep."

"Why?"

"... I don't know." Rei's face was streaked with tear marks, and she scrubbed at them some more. At Mitsuki's steady gaze, Rei attempted a smile. It didn't work too much. "Must be the wind."

No breeze filtered through the women's hair.

"All I wanted was someone to train with," Rei added, eventually. "Someone who could teach me to be better. To use the power and force I've got to my fullest potential. To become a better -" She stopped, and eyed Mitsuki. "But that doesn't matter now."

"Why not?"

"Because... in... thanking Ranma for saving my life, I've upset another of my friends." Rei sighed. "Really badly. And I don't know... how to apologise. How to... make it better for her."

"You've really stuffed up badly, eh?" Mitsuki grinned.

Rei shot her a look of pure venom. "You like him too - why are you so happy that I was naked and holding him?"

"What makes you think I care about him any more than superficially?" Mitsuki smiled, lightly, her eyes lighting up a little as she speaks. "His body... so muscled... so controlled. Can you imagine what he'd be like in bed?" She frowns, remembering something, and the older woman pulls back a little, growing hostile again. "Why are you so interested? Shouldn't you be apologising to your friend for trying to put moves on her property?"

"'Her property'?"

"He's as close to Hotaru's property as he could be without her sticking her name on him," the older woman clarifies. "He doesn't seem to mind much either, does he...?"

Rei's face went red from embarrassment, quickly followed by anger. "How do you figure that? He doesn't love her! He thinks she's a sister! He loves -" She stopped, caught herself, and looked away. "Someone else," she finished lamely.

"Your feelings for him haven't lessened."

"No."

"So why are you -"

There's a sob from Rei's direction, her face still turned away. "Because he doesn't like me like that! I... I thought he might. I... was wrong. I got caught up... in fantasy." The last two words sound lame, even to her, and she stands, angrily, still crying, and climbs down off the roof.

Mitsuki smiles to herself. "That's one down," she says to no one in particular, then shivers as an ice cube trickles down her back, and she turns to look out over the city. That thing's still out there, she realised. Somewhere. And possibly only going quiet to hide, build its power, bide its time.

Not good, she thought, and decided for the moment that it was time for Sailor Nemesis to start some serious hunting... Making sure Rei had left the roof, she raised a hand with a small crystal-holding makeup pouch. The crystal seemed to be a black shard of something hard and glassy. "Nemesis planetary shard power make up!"

Power blasted off the roof, and Sailor Nemesis dropped to the ground, in her black-trimmed fuku, and leaped off the hilltop for the street far below, already her eyes scanning for trouble.

******

Ranma watched this from his hiding place, further up the mountain the Ai Sou was built on. He was surprised when Mitsuki burst out in coloured light, and reformed into that older senshi he'd seen... really surprised. His mind hadn't wanted to accept that, sliding around like he recognised it had with Hotaru - but it soon subsided. He hadn't seen Hotaru transform, but he had just watched Mitsuki change. He guessed that was some kind of weird ki power, maybe something else, beyond his understanding.

No matter. He was... shocked. And upset. He knew what had happened with Rei looked really bad. He knew, because this was what *always* happened to him when a girl hugged him. He did feel bad that Hotaru had to hurt... but it was for the best. He couldn't risk her feeling any more hurt - she had to not rely on him so much. That meant climbing the stairs by herself. Shifting her own things around. Someone else to sit and watch television with.

Ranma hadn't quite realised yet that it wasn't just Hotaru who was feeling bad. Somewhere, deep down in his heart, he could feel a pain. He felt bad. Incredibly guilty that Hotaru had to stumble in at that moment - not before, when he was saving Rei's life. Nor afterwards, when she would have been alone, Ranma having left the room so she could dry off and dress.

But she had walked in just as Rei's towel slipped. While she was hugging him, thanking him for the save. He had had a naked girl press herself up against him. And while he'd had that happen many a time in Nerima with his fiances... they were just that. Forcibly engaged to him. Girls that he liked as friends, but nothing more - and they had eagerly wanted more, just like Akane had somewhere deep inside. She showed that side every now and then. Ranma had, too, but in the end could not accept that she didn't and wouldn't ever trust him.

These girls... were friends of his. And yeah, some liked him. But they weren't pushy about it... none of them tried to use him, or abuse him - apart maybe from Usagi. But she was an airhead, more or less, and was apparently jealous the other girls were paying attention to him instead of her boyfriend. Ranma privately suspected she'd go nuts if they started paying attention to this Mamoru guy again... but she'd love the attention.

He continued to squat, hiding, watching Mitsuki disappear over the plateau's side.

He was hungry. But he wasn't going to move. He needed to hit something else now.

Behind him stood four statues, hammered out of the black rock of the mountain itself. Hotaru, Rei, Mitsuki and Akane. The four women who, in their own weird ways, actually liked him.

He needed an Ukyou and a Shampoo. He set to work.

******

The teenager stood in the middle of the street. Cars passed him in both directions, honking horns. A busy time - the morning rush to work. He stood, shirtless, revealing bandages covering large parts of his torso. They were soaked in blood. So were the bandages on his arms, and his legs appeared to be the same under his torn jeans.

Drivers navigated around him, honking horns occasionally at his upraised arms. He was an annoyance more than anything.

The boy smiled, revealing braces. He reached down and removed his glasses - a passing wind, and he was aware of someone standing behind him.

He turned. "Ah. A senshi."

Yes. Sailor Nemesis. She just glared. "Do you know how dangerous this is?" she demanded.

The boy grinned back, showing his braces again. But he stayed silent.

Wait. Nemesis paused. "How did you know I was -"

The boy cut her off, suddenly swelling into a creature double his size, clothes and bandages popping off and tearing. Nemesis felt the sudden rush of withheld power that had hidden the creature from her senses. Claws ripped out of his feet and fingers, a tail extended from his back, and he clumped down onto all fours. His face stretched forward like a crocodile's and bat-like wings sprung from his back.

"A dragon? Are you Dark Kingdon types so lame these days or what?" Nemesis danced around, spinning one way to avoid a vicious claw attack, and raised her hands. "Nemesis arctic fire!" The blast of energy struck the creature, and it flew backwards from the impact, knocking thirteen cars into a pile. One caught fire, and before the driver could escape, it exploded, killing several pedestrians on the side of the street, causing yet more accidents, and other cars to detonate. More people died as their cars flamed up - others from shrapnel wounds.

The dragon stood up on its hind legs, and roared defiance, picking its way from the wreckage. Nemesis blinked, and the creature was right up close to her. It smashed a hand across her head, snapping her into a building. That hurt. She thought... maybe she'd stay here right now.

The dragon stalked towards her...

SAILOR MOON SAYS:

Don't talk to strangers! We're well weird!

Seriously, though, this part turned out to be completely different than I thought it would... I'm interested to see where this is going. Hmm. So, next time on Ranma 1/2 / Sailor Moon: Truth, the senshi have a powerful new villian to fight. And no Ranma to help! But wait... who's this? And hang on, who's this at the end? Hmm... find out on the next exciting chapter of Drag... er, Truth. Yeah.


	9. Truth - Chapter 8

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff. Existing characters are properties of the people who made them up. Mitsuki, and several other characters are mine, and so's the story, hence ownership and copyright of them belongs to me. Contact me at domino@linksnet.nu if you want permission to use anything I've written for whatnot purposes.

NOTE: The title for the last chapter was forgotten in the heat of the moment (and here I thought I was so cool for getting it out so quick;). The title for Chapter 7 is actually Dragon Slave.

TRUTH

by

Raymond Cooper

Chapter 8

** Dragon Slayer **

Sailor Nemesis stirred in the ruins of the wall she'd been flung into. This was getting to be habit, but hey, she was mostly unconscious at the time, and could only focus on that irony - possibly the strongest senshi, and the first out of nearly every fight she'd been involved in.

The dragon from the Dark Kingdom stepped towards her, slowly, deliberately. Waves of negative energy rolled off its back as the road cracked underneath its feet, rippling out and affecting onlookers - those who remained, anyway. After the massed car accidents, many were either dead, or dying, or had fled the scene. The power it was putting out sped outwards in a bubble, weakening as it went, but not enough.

******

The bubble passed through the Ai Sou, and as one, the senshi looked in the direction of the source. As one, they stopped their actions, and powered up into their senshi forms, springing from the doors of the dormitory, and leaping into town.

A scant moment later, Ranma himself felt the bubble pass by, further up the mountain from the dorm. He didn't notice the senshi leave - he was busy trying to work out how to hide his identity. Stepping into the front yard of the building, he stopped dead.

Sailor Saturn stood in the front doorway. She glared at Ranma, and didn't say a word. But she held up a jug of water from the refrigerator and one of her old school fukus. The implications were obvious.

******

Sailor Moon dropped into the scene, with Mercury, Venus, Mars, and then Jupiter hitting the street behind her. She pointed a finger at the dragon, its back to them, and glared. "Creature from the Negaverse!"

"Dark Kingdom, idiot," Jupiter growled under her breath. She wished Sailor Moon would stop making up names for the bad guys based on her half-listened explanations from Mercury as to their nature.

Sailor Moon continued, with a quick scowl in Jupiter's direction. "You have harmed your last innocent! And in the name of the Moon Kingdom from the Silver Millennium, we *will* punish you!"

Her voice faltered as she took in the carnage in the street. Distantly, she also noted the other senshi were staring. They hadn't seen devastation like this in a while... while the hospital, two weeks before, had been pretty bad, they hadn't seen anywhere near this many bodies. Sailor Moon took a step back, raising a hand up towards her mouth in horror. Her stomach churned as she spotted body after body... red, raw meat, twisted into shapes hard to recognise. A limp hand here, a sightless eye there.

Behind her, Mercury emptied her stomach on the bitumen surface.

Jupiter stepped forward to stand on one side of Sailor Moon. She raised a fist, agressively. "Dragon! We *will* take you down!"

Mars stepped up to the other side of Sailor Moon. "Count on it."

Both senshi raised their hands.

"Supreme thunder!"

"Fire soul!"

Bolts of electricity and balls of fire fling at the dragon's back. They impact, and the dragon stiffens, roaring in pain. He turns, faster than both senshi thought it could, and leap towards them. Jupiter readies for another attack, but Venus yells out from behind them in a covering manoeuvre. "Crescent beam!" Magical energy smashed into the dragon, cutting his flight short. He crashed into the ground just in front of Sailor Moon, snapping her out of her daze.

"Sailor Moon kick!" Sailor Moon launched herself into the air, spun around, and delivered a senshi-powered kick to the monster's head. Scales smashed, and green ichor splashed up on her boot. She dropped to her feet, and jumped back. "Yahoo! We're taking this one down quickly!"

The dragon smashed back to its feet. "It will take much more than that to defeat me now!" he roared, then rose onto his back feet. He raised his front legs into the air, and a black ball appeared between them. "Negative burst!" He dropped his hands, throwing the ball at the senshi. They sprang out of the way, but the road under the ball detonated and erupted into shards of flying rock and liquified tar, which pelted and coated the senshi.

Mercury fell heavily on one leg, her ankle twisting. She cried out, but stretches her hands in the direction of the enemy. "Shining aqua illusion!" Mist and bubbles gushed at the dragon, hitting it, freezing it.

For a moment, the senshi all breathed a sigh of relief.

Nemesis sat up, slowly, holding her head with one hand. She felt woozy. But where - ah, there it was. The dragon, frozen in place.

But even as she watched, standing groggily, the ice prison started to crack. Nemesis noticed the other senshi, who were starting to relax, and cluster around Mercury to help her, hadn't even noticed that the dragon wasn't stopped yet. Even as she glanced at the senshi, the ice cracked right up one leg. Muscle bulged, and the dragon strained free completely, his frozen prison exploding like shards of glass.

The ice crackled over the senshi's backs, and Mars was knocked over with the force of it, taking a particularly large piece on a shoulder. Nemesis struggled to her feet, as the dragon leaped towards the injured and surprised senshi. She slammed a fist down into the ground. "Richter wave!" The resultant earthquake ripped through the ground towards the dragon, hitting it as it touched ground a moment before its final jump that would have carried him to the fuku-clad teenagers. The dragon was smashed over onto one side, through a crashed and burning car, and into a wall.

He climbed back out, even as the injured senshi stood. Sailor Mars held a hand to her right shoulder, that arm hanging limply at her side. Mercury was leaned up against Venus. Jupiter stood beside Sailor Moon, both covering slightly cut arms. All showed some evidence of blood - either from gravel rash, or the flying ice storm. Nemesis stepped in to help cover Sailor Moon, but she, too, was injured - woozy, having trouble standing up straight.

The dragon stomped towards the senshi, and all braced themselves for another round of combat. Nemesis looked at Mars, and took up a combat stance from one of her learned katas. Mars gaped, momentarily surprised, then recovered, and took up a similar, tighter stance on the other side of the group. She gave Nemesis another troubled glance, then turned back to the dragon. It was a few steps closer now, and a little injured, but not seriously.

The senshi let rip with a number of energy attacks, from their places in the group. Nemesis and Mars covered the rest until they had finished.

"Venus love-me chain!"

"Shabon spray freezing!"

"Sparkling wide pressure!"

"Rainbow moon heart attack!"

"Burning mandala!"

"Rock tsunami!"

Bursts of energy and matter blasted and rolled at the dragon. They all hit, smashing the dragon back into the building behind again. It groaned, dangerously. , weakened right through half of its base supports. He smashed free again, and stepped from the hole in the side of the tower, glaring hate-filled at the senshi. His scaled skin was holed, burnt, chipped away by solids, and coated in ice. Small bolts of electricity jumped between the wing bones, and ate at the thinner fleshy material of the wing membranes. "For that, you will all die."

"I think he might be right," Mercury muttered from up against Venus, her visor down. "It's power level has dropped by half - but it's still stronger than we currently are. We've been weakened too much!"

Sailor Moon posed, legs apart, hands on her hips. "The Sailor Senshi will never give up! We -"

Nemesis gave her a dark look. "We'll kick your ass, monster."

The senshi gave her an odd look.

The dragon laughed, grating sounds of granite bouncing off the buildings around. In the distance, there were sirens, slowly approaching. "I am still stronger than you all, combined. You'd need a greater power than assembled here to defeat me!"

The problem was, the senshi were beginning to believe he was right. Nemesis snarled.

And the dragon looked at her, surprised, for a moment, before anger replaced that expression, and he jumped towards her, forelegs outstretched. Black energy crackled around his feet.

Then a familiar-looking staff smashed down through the creature's torso, slicing through soft tissue and burying its head into the ground. The dragon roared, and flapped what remained of his wings to get him airbourne, pulling his body off the glaive with a wet wucking sound, and then dropping to the ground, legs splayed to carry his weight off the injury a little better. He looked upwards -

"Katsu tenshin amaguriken!"

- and ki-charged fists repeatedly smashed into the dragon's head. Nemesis and Mars gasped - they'd seen the attack before. Ranma had come -

But that wasn't Ranma. It was that red-haired girl, in a school uniform fuku, dealing a savage attack to the dragon. She wrapped her legs around the creature's neck as she continued to pound away. Nemesis looked at the glaive in the road - that was Saturn's. Where was... oh, there she was. Saturn dropped lightly to the ground beside the senshi, and started healing them magically, fast as she could. Mercury first, so Venus wasn't hobbled by her. Then Mars, Sailor Moon, Jupiter, Venus and finally Nemesis.

All this time, the fuku-clad girl pummeled the dragon into submission. Eye ridges smashed open under the force of repeated blows, and the dragon's arms weren't placed in a good enough position to scratch the girl off. About the time the senshi were all healed, he flipped onto his back and smashed his neck back at the road. The girl leapt free, firing a ki-blast into the creature's stomach.

"NOW!" she shouted as she jumped.

The senshi snapped around as one, in a line, and raised hands and weapons. All glared at the dragon. Sailor Moon pointed. "We warned you, monster, that we would punish you for this." Then she, too, snapped into her ready pose.

"Shabon spray freezing!"

"Venus love-me chain!"

"Rainbow moon heart attack!"

"Burning mandala!"

"Sparkling wide pressure!"

"Silence Glaive Surprise!"

"Rock tsunami!"

The combined blasts devastated the dragon, tearing it apart right down to an atomic level. The released energy exploded outwards a scant second later... pushing the globular blast from Saturn's attack upwards where it quickly dissipated, also giving the fuku-clad red head time to get behind the senshi, and Saturn enough time to whirl her glaive again. "Silence wall!"

The shockwave washed over the barrier, but didn't penetrate, and held firm. Once it passed, the senshi almost as one, collapsed. All had expended a lot of energy, and would need time to rest, recover. The red head watched, carefully.

Then, she said, "Is there somewhere I can help you all to?" She looked at Sailor Mars, and her mouth dropped open. "Rei?" she asked, before she could close her mouth. Mars snapped her head up fast, doing her best to keep herself under control even though she was completely drained.

"How do you... mean, Rei?" Her eyes narrowed. "There's no Rei here."

Oh damn. Ranma cursed his luck. Had to utter it out loud. But the shock of seeing Rei Hino in one of these sailor fukus... well... kinda caught him by surprise. So that was three he knew of now. Who were the other four? His mind refused to make the logical connection. But he had to make an effort to reply to Mars. "I... my name's Ranko. We went to school together, remember? Years ago?"

Mars looked at the other senshi. Nemesis shrugged. "Don't look at me. You've all obviously got the experience with the secret identity schizz. I don't need one."

Sailor Moon glanced at Nemesis, then Ranko. "Well. I want to say thank you for giving us time to recover, Ranko. That was good work. You're a fan?"

"Huh?"

Sailor Moon indicated the school fuku Ranma wore.

Mercury whispered to Venus, "That almost looks like our old school -" She cut herself off. Venus nodded in reply.

"Oh, this, er, just something I picked out of the closet," Ranma hedged. "Dunno where it came from."

Sailor Moon nodded briefly, but happily. "Well, thanks for the offer, but we really can't take you up on it. We've got secret identities to protect and" WHACK "OW, Jupiter! Why'd you do that for?"

"Ixnay on the ecretsey dentitiesey!"

"Oh, yeah. Um. We've got to go back to our secret hideout and relax."

"Oh. Well -" Ranma broke off as Saturn stepped up to him.

She looked into his eyes, not smiling. "Thank you for your assistance. We will call on it again."

"We don't know how to contact -" Mercury started, but Saturn stopped her with a glance.

"I do."

That said, Saturn turned, and started to walk away. Ranma started to reach out for her shoulder, but paused, remembering his earlier words. "Don't rely on others," he said, quietly. Saturn heard, and sitffened, then her head dropped a little, and she continued to walk off. The other senshi collapsed around her in a line, heading off down an alleyway. Mars lingered to glance back with a confused expression on her face, but followed quickly.

Ranma looked up at the building the dragon had been knocked into repeatedly, and shuddered. No doubt it would be demolished first thing in the morning - perhaps even later today. The street was shattered, ruined, and bodies lay scattered about like rag dolls. And the sirens were closer now. He leapt up onto a roof, and started back to the Ai Sou faster than the senshi were making it.

******

He did indeed make it back first. And he stored the fuku in his room, hesitantly, as Hotaru had told him. He didn't want to, but she had given him this stare, as if he owed her something. And while he didn't, he hadn't been able to tell her no. He had needed to get out there and fight, too - he felt the same urge she had. She had explained that being a fangirl involved in the fighting would be a lot less to explain than Ranma himself. They had seen him fight Dark Kingdom creatures as a girl, not as himself. So he would continue in that fashion. He decided he'd hit the springs to change back to his male form.

He placed the fuku in his closet, where he had some other women's clothing he had picked up while living at the Tendo's. Then he grabbed a clean towel, something clean to wear afterwards, and walked naked through the dorm, knowing the others weren't back yet. He walked past the female springs, where he eyed the broken door, then quickly repaired it with a few rapid ki-punches to the doorframe to create small holes he could jam the hinges into, allowing it still to swing and cover the doorway until he had time to replace the door and frame completely. And then he continued into the men's springs area, a much smaller pool than next door's female spring, but big enough for just Ranma. He stepped into the water, and felt his body alter to its natural state, and relaxed.

Outside, he heard the girls come home, quietly, limping and in a little pain still.

******

Hotaru's healing had done wonders, but as she'd had to spread herself around, hadn't healed everything. She was quiet on the walk back, as were the other senshi, and Nemesis had finally revealed her identity to the others. Two of the inner senshi hadn't been surprised. Hotaru had shrugged and said she knew. Mitsuki had been surprised by that herself, but not particularly so.

"I guess you realised while on our date."

Hotaru had just nodded, and continued walking in silence. She looked upset a little. But why? the senshi thought. Things seemed to be strained between her, Ranma and Rei at the moment, but hey, by now they'd all heard what happened, and all thought it was nothing much to get worked up about. Minako knew how Hotaru felt, though, hurt, betrayed, although she also knew Hotaru was telling herself nothing had happened.

It would still take time to get over the hurt.

They climbed the steps slowly, Hotaru refusing help from all, and forcing herself up them by herself. When queried, she shrugged. "I can't rely on others all my life," she replied, before going back to trying to climb them all.

Once at the top, Hotaru dragged herself inside with the others, and grabbed towels and clothing and headed for the hot spring out the back. They heard lazy splashing from the other side of the wall that segregated the two springs.

Rei looked at the wall, lowered her head and blushed. Hotaru didn't react. Even Usagi noted both's reactions, and realised someone needed to break the ice. And as team leader, that responsibility fell to her. "So. Who's happy Mamo-chan is coming over really soon?"

******

The senshi were arrayed over the entire area of the front lounge and were watching television. Ranma was in the kitchen, preparing himself a four-course snack.

There was a knock at the front door. None of the senshi moved to get it, and Ranma so Ranma abandoned his food, and stepped over Minako (who didn't pass on the opportunity and nearly made him trip up) before opening the door.

"Yes?"

Outside was Soun Tendo, looking tall, proud and dignified. "Son. I am going overseas for a training trip with your father. We will be gone for an undeterminate amount of time. And I can't leave her with Nabiki and Kasumi, because... well, they shouldn't have to look after her. Here she is. Good luck, son." With that rapidfire delivery done, Soun whipped a surprised-looking Akane out from behind him, with a bag slung over her shoulder, and he took off across the front yerd and down the stairs towards the road below.

Akane stared. "Hello, Ranma."

"A-a-akane!" Ranma stuttered. The girls in the lounge looked over, all bar Mitsuki, who continued watching middle-aged Japanese men get humiliated in the game show on television. He stepped out of the way, and Akane entered the dorm, looking at the girls.

"I see you're as big a pervert as ever, Ranma, living with seven women."

"No! It's not like -" He gave up, remembering how previous conversations had gone. He took a deep breath, and walked back into the kitchen to complete making his snack.

"Who are you?" Hotaru asked.

"I'm Akane Tendo." Akane paused, expecting a response. None came. "Didn't that idiot tell you? I'm his fiance."

SAILOR MOON SAYS:

In the next semi-exciting part: The cats *finally* arrive. The Nekoken explained for the senshi. Akane gives Ranma some much-needed basis for multiple assault and battery charges. See you then!


	10. Truth - Chapter 9

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff. Existing characters are properties of the people who made them up. Mitsuki, and several other characters are mine, and so's the story, hence ownership and copyright of them belongs to me. Contact me at domino@linksnet.nu if you want permission to use anything I've written for whatnot purposes.

TRUTH

by

Raymond Cooper

Chapter 9

** This Is Ranma's Life **

"Ranma?"

The accusation - how could it be any other way, how it had been delivered? - hung in the air like a lead weight.

Then seven pairs of eyes turned and looked expectantly at Ranma, waiting for him to explain this punchline.

He didn't. Seven pairs of eyes swung back to look at the young woman in question.

Akane Tendo was shorter than Ranma, but had a similarly coloured mop of hair. She was dressed in a school uniform none of the senshi recognised, and more than one assumed that she had been yanked from school that afternoon and brought here obliviously. Her bag had been hastily packed - the top was even unzipped and showed several shirts tossed in without regard for neatness. Everything suggested she'd been brought here at a moment's notice.

Mitsuki's eyes narrowed, looking at the new arrival. Hotaru affected an uninterested look, watching the television now. Rei blushed, and sank back into her chair even further.

Akane waited for someone to say something. No one did. She turned to Ranma, who was standing completely still in the kitchen with his snack, ready to take a bite out of it. "What?" he asked, moments later.

"Aren't you going to say something?"

"Like?"

"Like anything! Really, Ranma, anyone would think you don't *want* to spend time with your fiance!"

Ranma bit down and said something while chewing. It was unintelligible. Akane glared.

"What was that?"

He swallowed, and tried again. "Is it any wonder why, when I come out of quality time with you with more bruises than I get training with pop?"

"Ranma!" Akane's face grew red. "I'm not even here a minute, and you're already insulting me!"

The young man rolled his eyes and wandered off to his room. "Catch ya later, Akane." The door slid shut behind him down the hall.

Akane looked around, innocently and cooling down fast. Her fiance was gone. Again. He'd run from her once... twice, now, since their aborted marriage a few months back. They'd decided to take things at their own pace, but somehow, things had gone wrong. She didn't know how - she cooked, she cleaned, she washed his clothes. And he hadn't given her any respect or affection for it.

In fact, when Akane had kicked her older sister Kasumi out of the kitchen for a month, Ranma went on a hunger strike... and promptly fled to Ukyou's and the Nekohanten for meals. Pig. He could take it like a man, at the very least, and try her eating.

She waited for someone to say something. The way the girls were all staring, it was very likely someone would start talking soon. And Akane thought she knew what the main topic would be.

Sure enough, Usagi narrowed her eyes, and gave Akane a glare. "So. Why are you enaged to a jerk like that?"

Akane almost sagged in relief. "Finally! Someone who thinks the way I do!" She moved over to sit next to Usagi, who scooted over to accommodate the new arrival, who put her bag down beside her. "My father engaged one of his three daughters, my sisters and myself, to the son of one of his friend's. They arrived at our training dojo a couple of years ago, and my sisters didn't want him. So I got stuck with the engagement."

"So... so you two aren't really willing to get married?" Rei asked, hesitating. Hotaru's eyes twitched in the direction of Rei and Akane.

"Don't be stupid! Me, like that idiot?" Akane snorted, then grew serious. "We... were nearly married a few months ago. And ever since then, things have been strained between us. I don't know why, I think he's been seeing his other fiances."

"*Other* fiances?" Usagi looked down the hallway towards Ranma's room. Wow, he got around.

Akane shrugged. "Turns out his father engaged him to almost every girl they came along."

"So the engagements aren't going to be honoured?"

Akane turned to Rei. "None of the others will be. Ours will." The glare told Rei what she wanted to know. Rei's reaction, and the question, had told Akane what she wanted to know. Damn. He was picking up *more* fiances, even without his father around? How was he doing that? "It's just a matter of when." She folded her arms, and frowned. Usagi caught this, and started up some small chit-chat to make their guest feel more at home.

But three of the senshi weren't feeling too good about these events.

******

"Ranma?"

Akane's voice was soft, gentle, outside his door. He never could refuse that voice, the one that promised tears, or the nice Akane, the one he had fallen for those few years ago. "Yes?"

The door slid open. Akane was standing there in a nightgown, leaning up against the doorway. The lights behind her were out, the dorm in darkness. No sounds emanated from anywhere else in the buiding, except from Rei's room, where anyone walking past could hear her sob. Or from directly below it, in Ranma's room.

She was quiet now.

Akane stepped inside, and shut the door. "I wanted to talk."

"About?" Ranma lay stretched out on his futon, clothed, idly fingering a chunk of wood. He didn't look up, but he had the urge to. It was something Akane knew, and tended to use to her advantage sometimes.

"I want to know... where do we stand?" Ranma looked up now, confused. Akane sighed, inwardly. "Ranma... you ran away from my family. From me! I don't... I don't know where we are. You didn't tell these girls you were engaged... did you?"

Ranma squirmed on the futon. "Well, not *exactly*..."

"No. And they think..." she sobbed. The big guns in Akane Tendo's arsenal came out to play. Ranma shuddered, but sat upright. She fell to his chest, and sobbed some more. "They think you like them! And they like you! And that makes me feel..."

"Insecure?" His arms wrapped around her back of their own accord. It was something that had happened before, and quietened her. This was the Akane he liked. An average girl, who liked him, who didn't act as if his very breathing offended her and encouraged other girls to try and steal him from her.

"Yes," she admitted, for the first time ever. She picked her words carefully. "Ranma... I care for you, deeply. But you pull away from me! All the time! Why? Why do you do it?"

For that, Ranma couldn't answer. Not that he didn't have an answer, but more that he didn't trust what he would say if he ever opened his mouth. He did care for this woman, deeply. But... it was true. He was moving on. Why? That he didn't know. It had been happening for a long time - he had put it down to incompatibility. But lately, he'd been noticing few other girls routinely whacked him with a mallet, insulted him, berated him constantly.

They were nice, kind, happy, and strangely forgiving. It was rebuilding his opinion of the female side of the species. Just a little.

He gave no answer, and eventually, Akane fell asleep. Ranma settled her into his futon, and turned out his bedside lamp.

******

"Ranma?"

Mitsuki was sitting outside again, hoping he'd hear her quiet words. For the second morning in a row, at dawn, no Ranma. No Rei. No Hotaru. Was this going to be a habit? She'd taken up the training she'd left behind again, and was trying to learn this time. With her track record out fighting Dark Kingdom bad guys, she needed an edge. She hoped that this martial arts training would improve her skills to the point she'd be able to be effective against these new creatures, that (according to the whispered meeting of the senshi after they had seen Akane to a room) were much stronger than previous incursions.

She stepped inside, and tapped on Ranma's door. There was a murmured response from within. The door slipped open easily, and Mitsuki slipped inside. Ah. Ranma was burrowed under the blankets. She guessed it was a little chilly this morning, but she wouldn't forgive him. He was going to get out of bed and train her.

"Ranma?" she asked softly.

No response. She kept closer to the bundle on the futon. It shifted slightly - ah, that was an arm underneath the blanket. Mitsuki grinned to herself. Everyone else seemed to be having their way with Ranma, so why shouldn't she? She got down on her knees next to the bed, her face melting from the smirk to a very soft, compassionate expression as she undid the top of her gi, leaned over, and slid her hand under the blankets, around warm, soft skin. She smiled - this really did feel good.

But wait, Ranma didn't have any fat... there... oh god. Mitsuki looked down as the figure in the futon sat up. Akane looked surprised to say the least, Mitsuki's hand gripping her breast. "Oh god!" Mitsuki said, falling over backwards. Akane just stared.

"Are you like that?" she asked, when she got over the shock of being woken by a woman groping her. "I mean -"

"No!" replied Mitsuki, scrambling backwards. "What are you doing in here?"

Akane's eyes narrowed. "You expected Ranma? How often do you do this?"

Mitsuki was wide-eyed now, but the aggressive tone taken by Akane triggered something deep inside her. Her expression changed in an instant, into a similarly aggressive form. "All the time! What's the matter, jealous that you can't please your man?"

Akane flinched as if she'd been hit. "He's my fiance!"

"Are you going to use that as an excuse for not being able to argue effectively?" Mitsuki stood, rearranged her gi, and put her hands on her hips. "I'm cuter than you, I'm smarter than you, I'm *nicer* that you. You really think he's going to stick around with an uncute girl like you for long?"

The younger girl jumped up, angry, and Mitsuki didn't see where the glowing mallet came from, but it caught her on the jaw. Not being quite so fast as Ranma, and nowhere near as strong in this form, her jaw snapped, her head spun around, and she was thrown through Ranma's closet (hey, why's he got girls' clothes in here? she idly thought as she went through it) into the next room, where she bounced off the floor.

Akane, used to super-strong people on the receiving end of her ki attacks, stood there, angrily, waiting for Mitsuki to return. With a snap of her wrist, she loosened her grip on the solid air-energy interface and it disappeared in a flash of exploding mist. She turned, and stalked out of the room, impatient already the girl hadn't come back at her, hurt at what she'd said.

Hotaru opened her door at the loud crash, and saw Akane walk past her, very, very angry. She stepped into Ranma's room, and saw the hold in the wardrobe's door. She opened it, and pushed through Ranma's clothing, finding the hole in the back. Mitsuki lay on her back in the other room, mouth open and her jaw sagging on one side, in shock. Blood gurgled in the girl's throat. "What happened?" Hotaru muttered, before knealing down next to the woman, and running her hands over the broken jaw, forcing it to heal. It came together slowly, and Mitsuki choked once, twice... then it was healed, and Hotaru helped roll the older woman over on her side, where she coughed up blood from wounds that no longer existed. "What happened?" Hotaru repeated herself.

"Sensei... sensei's fiance... got a bit violent. Heh."

Hotaru looked at the hole, and shuddered. "She did this? To you? How?"

"I don't know," Mitsuki admitted. "I think... I asked for it, though. I was just expecting a slap. Maybe all of Ranma's friends are super-powered, like him and that Ranko girl?"

"Possible," Hotaru admitted. Mitsuki was her competition... wasn't she? Maybe. Yes. But she was also a Sailor Senshi, and as a senshi herself, she needed to support her sisters in fukus. Even Ranma. Something didn't seem right here, and Hotaru determined to get to the bottom of it.

******

"Ranma?"

The voice intruded his solitude on the roof. He ignored it. He liked being alone at the moment.

As soon as Akane had fallen asleep, he'd climbed up here to do some thinking. Serious thinking. He wasn't quite finished yet, either. It was a big decision he had before him. He didn't really want to go back inside until he'd made it, and he needed to avoid Akane, really, for it to be in his best interests - something he'd been neglecting for a while.

The voice behind him altered a little, becoming less certain, more worried. "Sempai?" Hotaru. The way she said that one word... brought shivers to Ranma's back. Not bad ones, either. Somehow, it made him feel... good. Wanted. Respected. Loved. Exactly as it was intended to. He turned, this truly being a voice he couldn't ignore for long.

Hotaru was climbing up onto the top of the roof again, as she had done on her second day. She was keeping her worried eyes focussed on him, though, and when she reached the top, she stood, held her arms out to her sides for balance, and walked out to Ranma. She slipped just behind him, but he caught her in one hand, and held on. "Yes, Hotaru?"

"Your... f-f-fiance, Akane?" Hotaru blushed and looked down, feeling a thump in her heart. Even though she was trying to get Ranma to action, and wasn't meaning to feel anything for him, she still felt bad at that word, and jealous. Why? The simple answer, she realised, is she still liked him. And she should stop being an idiot, and keep liking him. Fight, dammit! Don't rely on others, stand up for yourself! The revelation stopped her from speaking for a few moments.

"Yes?" Ranma repeated.

"She assaulted Mitsuki, broke her jaw." Hotaru looked up at Ranma, her face angry. "You know who she is. You know what I am. You know... what will happen if I have to go down there and make her apologise."

"Aww..." Ranma rubbed at his face. He was tired, really tired. This wasn't helping, either. "She get Mitsuki with her mallet?"

Hotaru nodded. "Yes, sempai."

"But that shouldn't... have..." Ranma's voice trailed off. Then: "You're not so strong when not transformed, are you?"

Hotaru shook her head. "As strong as a normal person our size and fitness level, sempai."

"Damn! Akane'll have nailed her! What'd she do to get the tomboy riled?"

The younger girl shook her head. "I don't know, sempai. But Mitsuki said she probably deserved it."

Ranma nodded. Likely did. But Akane couldn't go around walloping others at random. He'd speak with her. He sighed, and pushed himself up off the roof's surface, helped Hotaru up, and led her back to the ladder. Strangely, this made his decision so much easier to make.

******

"Ranma?"

Disbelieving in tone, Akane stared at her fiance. He stood in the kitchen doorway as she made biscuits for the girls in the dorm, foodstuffs that should go nowhere near biscuits scattered around the central table and surrounding benches. "What do you mean, I'm too violent?" She tried to be nice, but she could feel her temper rising.

"Akane, don't get me wrong, you're a nice girl. But you just *broke* someone's jaw because she got smart to you!" Ranma shook his head. "That's violent."

"That wasn't all she -"

"I don't want to hear it, Akane," Ranma cut her off with a shake of his head. "Akane, you can't go round whacking people at random with your mallet! You're stronger than most people, remember? When you do something like that, you can *kill* them!"

"Oh, and you won't?" Akane found herself very angry now, but also on the point of tears. She'd been assaulted - and her fiance was taking the other girl's side.

"I'm a bit better trained than you, Akane. I know how hard I can hit someone, or where to hit them to knock them out without seirously injuring them." He shrugged. "You don't."

"Ranma! You can't compare you and me! I'm -"

"Different to me, but that doesn't mean you can go around hitting people." Ranma folded his arms. "Which brings me to my second point."

Akane found a tear sitting on her lower eyelid, waiting for her to blink before running down her cheek. She had a sudden premonition of what he was going to say - when she woke up this morning and found him nowhere around, that suggested something like this very much was coming.

"Akane. Our engagement... it's not going to work." Ranma took a deep breath. "I've thought about it all night. We're not gonna work out. Our lives are too different. What we want... is completely different. You're... you don't trust me. With other girls. You don't believe me when I say nothing's happened. You don't believe it when you see it with your own eyes! You're too violent. And the few times you're the girl I fell for... you take advantage of that, soon as you can, or go back to hitting me, or whatever."

The tear streaked down Akane's face now. "I see," she said, keeping her voice level and in check.

"It's not that I don't like you... you're a great friend, and that's... that's what i want for good. But we're just not gonna work out."

Akane nodded. Then the tears came.

******

"Ranma?"

Mitsuki stepped out behind Ranma, watching the young man watch Akane leave. She walked down the stairs, out of sight, without a look back. Mitsuki felt her heart tear at that, knowing she'd been indirectly at absolute best responsible for whatever had gone on between the two of them. Ranma kept his back straight, standing tall, not moving.

But the fists his hands formed, knuckles white with the grip he was pushing through them... they told the story about what was going on on his face.

He leaped for the roof, not looking back. Rei stepped out behind Mitsuki, watched the stairs. Then a little black mound appeared, and a little white one. Rei's face lit up. Cats! "Luna! Artemis!"

The two cats looked up, half-exhausted, and saw Rei running towards them, arms outstretched. "Rei!" Luna said, before slumping over on her side. Artemis followed, quickly. They didn't look too well-fed. Rei gathered them up in her arms, and pushed through the doors, past Mitsuki, who was boggling at the concept of a talking cat, and called out for Usagi and the others to join her.

******

"Ranma?"

Luna asked the question. Usagi looked at the other senshi. "Rei, you tell them."

Rei cleared her throat from her position beside Usagi's bed, where the cats were resting and being fed by the women. Mitsuki stood to one side of the open door. She started explaining who Ranma was when he walked past the door. Hotaru caught sight of him, and stood, headed out the door after him. 

"Sempai!"

Ranma stopped, and turned around. "Yes, Hotaru-chan?"

"Sempai... do you want to talk?"

"About what?"

Hotaru dropped an ear to her shoulder, and blushed. "If you need to talk, sempai..."

Ranma held her gaze for a moment, then dropped it and sagged slightly. "I, uh, had a talk with Akane. She cried. A lot. And..." His voice trailed off, and he just stared at the floor. Hotaru took his chin in her hand.

"Yes, sempai?"

He brought his eyes up to look directly into hers. "I have no fiance."

Hotaru smiled, and half-turned, gesturing towards Usagi's room. "We've had some new friends come to stay. Come meet them!" She slipped her hand into Ranma's, and pulled him towards the door.

He smiled, and entered.

Then saw what was on the bed.

"And this," Rei completed, "is Ranma."

SAILOR MOON SAYS:

Okay, okay, I know I forgot something ;) But this seemed to be the right place to end, so I pushed it back until the next part. I'm not sure how this is holding up as a continuing story at the moment, if someone could do me a favour and comment on the flow of it thus far? It's rather early on yet in terms of the ideas I wanted to have show up in it, and some of the things that will happen are only being hinted at now, and I'd kinda like to know what people are thinking thusly.

Anyways, until next time, see ya :)


	11. Truth - Chapter 10

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff. Existing characters are properties of the people who made them up. Mitsuki, and several other characters are mine, and so's the story, hence ownership and copyright of them belongs to me. Contact me at domino@linksnet.nu if you want permission to use anything I've written for whatnot purposes.

TRUTH

by

Raymond Cooper

Chapter 10

** Cheque, Please **

Ranma eyed the cats. The cats eyed Ranma. Mitsuki eyed Ranma. Hotaru eyed Ranma. Rei kept her eyes firmly locked on the cats.

"C-c-c-cats!" Ranma stuttered, finally managing to lift a hand and point at them.

Hotaru nodded.

"Meow," Luna added, helpfully.

That just made it worse. Ranma jumped backwards, back through the door. He forgot Hotaru had hold of his hand, and she was jerked before he broke free. And Ranma was gone.

Curiously, there was a Ranma-shaped hole in the outside wall directly out of the doorway. Hotaru frowned. What was it with Ranma and cats? She turned back to the senshi. "I'll go see what's wrong with him." Usagi nodded. Mitsuki caught Hotaru's arm as she turned to go out past her.

"Be careful," the older senshi said, but Hotaru wasn't sure if Mitsuki meant she be careful of Ranma, or be careful for Ranma. She held Mitsuki's eyes for a moment, then turned, and followed her idol's exit path. At the hole, she poked her head through. No Ranma on the ground; likely he was up on the roof again, where she'd found him.

She took the stairs to the roof, where the washing line was, and then shakily climbed the rickety ladder leading up to Ranma's favourite thinking place of late. Ah, there he was. Shivering, which was weird, all crouched up. She walked up behind him quietly, and called out a quiet, hesitant "Sempai?" at one point, but he wasn't paying attention. She tapped him on the shoulder when she was close enough.

"YEEAAAAGH!" Ranma jumped up and around in fright, scaring Hotaru. She took a step back, lost her footing, and started to go over. But Ranma recovered from his fright long enough to grab her, wrapping his arms about her waist and pulling her up into a hug. It was completely impulsive, and Hotaru struggled against it for a moment, then realised, hey, this is what I've been working towards. It was about then that Hotaru laid her head on his chest, brought her arms up and hesitantly patted his back.

"Sempai?"

Slowly, Ranma stopped shivering and shaking under her hands, and looked down. "Uh..." What does one say in a situation like this? "Thanks."

Hotaru smiled to herself, down on Ranma's chest. Then she pulled away from him, carefully, eying the height again, and stepped back. "Sempai? Are you all right?"

Ranma shook his head. Slowly, the other senshi were filing up onto the lower roof, where from the very edge, they could just see Ranma and Hotaru. Luna and Artemis came with them, padding weakly up the stairs and then being picked up by Usagi and Minako. "Is he all right?" Luna asked.

Usagi shrugged. "He's always seemed wacko to me."

Rei gave her a brief, distracted push. "You just say that cause he's cuter than Mamoru."

"I DO NO- ahem," Usagi stopped when luna looked up at her.

"This isn't a jealousy issue, is it, Usagi?"

Usagi shook her head emphatically. Then, under the glares of the other senshi, she dropped her head and nodded. "Everyone else talks about him all the time, like no one's got a boyfriend of their own," she grumbled.

Ami raised her head, and went to say something, but then thought the better of it and went back to her laptop. Makoto shot a glance at Rei, who seemed to find interesting shapes in the clouds.

"Sempai?" Hotaru repeated, gently.

Ranma looked up. "Hotaru-chan? I'm... yeah, thanks."

"What happened?"

"It's a long story. A really *long* story." Ranma looked away from Hotaru, up the mountains behind the dormitory buildings and springs, and rubbed at his chin. He had been so tired from not sleeping the night before, but now... well, now he was just wired. As if someone had poured adrenylin into his blood, pure and undiluted. His eyes were wide open, too. Residual effect from fear, he knew, and Hotaru suspected. She raised big eyes to stare directly into his, let the worry fade from her face, and showed concern, compassion.

"Tell me, sempai. I have the time."

So Ranma sighed, looked away, then looked back. "I'm gonna tell you about one part of the training trip I went on with pops. It involved learning a new fighting technique, supposed to be an invincible technique, but it was flawed... pops couldn't wait to try it out... so..."

******

Umiko crouched on an industrial bin in an alleyway, hands on the bin's lid just in front of her feet. She was scaled mostly all over now, dressed in what little remained of her nurse's uniform. Her mouth was filled with sharp pointed teeth, and fingers and toes were one-knuckled claws - big, seemingly blunt, with a sharp serrated edge. She licked her lips with a long tongue, watching the new recruits her master had made.

Four people stood along the side of the alleyway, watching the master move about. He was three and a half feet tall now, completely a glossy black, strangely looking as if he was made of liquids. He gave the impression of flowing around, but for the moment, he stopped, and looked up at his new troops. Some kind of silent communication passed between them, and the humans nodded as one, turned as one, and filed out of the alleyway as one. He smiled.

Umiko smiled. It was good when the master was happy. Those girls hadn't been able to stop him spawning these troops - things would be much, much worse for them now. Well, not right now. The new monsters needed time to complete their changes. Even that fool kid the master had turned a scant few days ago hadn't wanted to wait until he was fully transformed... no, he'd had to go show off his new power, his lack of illness. And he'd squandered the gift he had been given for so small a price...

No matter. There were always more of the sick and dying. Of those craving adventure, excitement, or to be able to defend themselves. They would come running to the master, like she had come when woken from her previous life's slumber.

So. The master was happy. She looked at him - could she hunt? The response came back unspoken, just a brief nod. And Umiko bounded off.

******

Hotaru listened to every word very seriously, then nodded sagely, with a slight grin. "It left you with an acute phobia of cats? And... strange things happen... if you are exposed to them for any period of time?" Ranma nodded. Hotaru knew the other senshi would be able to hear this, and indeed heard them turn as one and quietly shuffle off the roof. "Can Luna and Artemis stay?"

Ranma was about to say no, but Hotaru interjected again.

"They help us in our fight."

How could he say no to that? "Just... keep them out of my way?" Hotaru nodded.

"That's the least we can do. We should have asked first... sempai, you *are* the manager of the dormitory..." Hotaru smiled shyly, and fidgited with the hem of her skirt. "Uh... about your fiance...?"

"Yes?" Ranma looked uncomfortable again. He was more at ease talking about the various training he'd done, and its effect on him than he was his feelings.

"What she did to Mitsuki... you've hinted -"

Ranma nodded. "She, uh, is a violent tomboy. And mostly isn't the girl I fell for. Especially now, she's really not. She can't accept me... being around other people. Women, mostly. Always thinks I'm, uh, doing something I shouldn't." He actually blushed! Hotaru found that so cute, and blushed herself, getting all shy, while Ranma got angry with himself. Why'd he have to turn red in front of Hotaru? That was no way to -

To what? He caught himself, and thought hard. To what, indeed? He couldn't have feelings... for... An eyebrow shot up. He couldn't. No way. She was too young! Yeah, had to be something like... gratitude! Relief! That sort of thing! Yeah... not anything like affection. She was a nice girl, but...

A little voice started talking in the back of his head and he did his best to shut it up. To distract himself, he smiled, put his hand on Hotaru's shoulder to steady her, and gestured towards the ladder. "Shall we go tell Rei and Mitsuki we'll be training again from tomorrow morning?"

******

Early morning. The sun was beginning to peek over the horizon. The front door to the Ai Sou dormitory opened, and three girls filed out. Their sensei, Ranma, was already outside, facing directly away from the girls, to the east, to the rising sun. Up above, small figures appeared at one of the windows. A small black cat, and a small white cat. They eye each other, then settle down on the sill.

Ranma turns around, and bowed to the women. Each of them bowed back as one, slightly deeper. Mitsuki, Hotaru and Rei raised their heads, expectantly. Each looked at Ranma, waiting. Ranma ran them through a basic ten minute warm-up, some tai'chi mixing into some slow, basic tae kwon do katas. They then moved up the pace slightly, keeping as slow as the slowest members - Hotaru, who was also trying the hardest - before paring off for a morning spar.

As usual, Hotaru nodded at Ranma, and Rei gave Ranma a glance before nodding at Mitsuki. Both of the older two senshi knew some moves, and could watch Ranma - pick moves up from that - but Hotaru was coming into this with no knowledge of the moves whatsoever. Thus, their teacher spent much of his sparring time teaching Hotaru the basics.

They moved, forwards and backwards in turn, each taking equal time in offence and defence. Not usually the standard method of sparring, but it allowed for unequal skill levels such as existed in this group, and taught each other the weaknesses not only in their own attacks, but in each others'. That last was something that Ranma had deemed important, after finding out his three students were members of the Sailor Senshi - two of them only a couple of days before. He'd observed their fighting styles, and determined that the senshi all relied on their magical attacks more than anything else. A major disadvantage. They had the strength, they had the speed, they had the agility, they had the endurance.

More than that, they had the ability to withstand much more punishment than they realised. Their actions as a combat force would be highly improved if they could only make use of these attributes. Ranma had some ideas, but he could only teach them to these three senshi... he had no idea who the other four in this region were.

Hotaru tagged him lightly with a punch to the chest - her arm completely extended. She received a light cuff to the ear for her troubles, and stepped back two steps to regain her distance. Her face was red with embarrassment, but she didn't let her mask of concentration slip.

Ranma danced in a step - his stride length greater than the girl's - and twisted on his left foot, bringing his right up in a swinging crescent kick. Hotaru blocked, but Ranma leaned inwards and whispered, "Tag." He danced back out again, beyond her reach.

Hotaru nodded, knowing this game. Before, they had played this once. Ranma had dodged the girls all with ease, and had taunted them lightly, treating this as a game. His lesson there had been something Hotaru hadn't really realised up until this point - he was doing his best to show them how open they were to anyone who knew how to use their natural abilities. Hotaru knew that Ranma's seemingly superhero-styled powers were nothing but the product of a trained body and a focussed mind. Something she hoped to be able to emulate at some point soon.

She darted forward, but apparently telegraphed her intentions too easily. Ranma stepped to the left. "Too slow." She slung her left hand out, but he was now behind her. He tapped her on the shoulder, and she spun, with a leg up and spinning where Ranma had been - had been! - only a quarter second earlier. The spin was slightly too fast for her naturally physically weakened condition, and she had to pause to catch her balance. Ranma tapped her on the shoulder again from behind.

This time, she took three slow steps, and turned around to face Ranma, giving herself plenty of room to manoeuvre. Ranma had his back to her, waiting.

Mitsuki and Rei stopped sparring, and stood back with arms folded to watch. Up above, the cats took extra special notice of this game.

Hotaru took a step forward, skipped, then leaped high, committing herself to a move she'd seen Ranma do once in a spar with Rei. She threw her weight backward, which, when combined with her forward momentum, tipped her backwards. Her face saw the ground spin by lazily, and she gave her body a roll in mid-air. She noted Ranma beneath her, looking up at her, surprised and concerned - she'd never made a move like this before.

But she hadn't sparred with Ranma while transformed before.

She saw the sudden understanding in his eyes, and both knew, when a smirk, it would now be a different game.

Using her own super-human abilities had opened that up. Hotaru knew Ranma wouldn't go light on her now. Just the way Sailor Saturn liked it.

Her hands reached down, lightning fast, using moves Ranma had taught her sped up by senshi-enhanced muscles. But Ranma dropped like a stone, faster than her arms, onto his back. She completed her jump, landing on the ground facing her teacher. He flipped back to his feet, and both began circling.

Rei and Mitsuki traded glances. "Is this wise? Won't he ask -" Rei asked, worry in her eyes.

Mitsuki nodded at Ranma, the way he was acting. "I think he already knows."

"First to make a tag wins, Hotaru-chan?" Ranma asked lightly.

Hotaru nodded. Suddenly, she was right in front of Ranma, her hand coming up to touch him on the nose. He tensed his legs, and sprang, all in speeds too fast for the human eye. He bought his legs up behind him, swinging him out and around a little, but arcing over Hotaru's head. She lifted her gaze, a little too late as Ranma alighted a dozen metres behind her.

"Sempai, must you make this difficult?"

"How will you learn anything if I don't, Hotaru-chan?" Ranma retorted. He lifted a hand, beckoned to Hotaru. She responded to the bait, and flew towards him.

Ranma dodged again. "Man, Hotaru-chan, you're getting slow. Maybe with great strength comes slow speed?" He lazily dodged another two thrusts from the senshi, and then backflipped casually away from a barrage of kicks. He yawned. "Hotaru-chan, are we finished yet?"

"NO!" she roared. She summoned all her speed, focussed her rage into power, and leapt towards Ranma. He seemed to blur -

- and she felt a light tap on her shoulder. "Tag, you're it."

Hotaru fell to the ground, surprised. Ranma landed lightly beside her, and helped her up. "That was good, Hotaru. Using what you had to your advantage. But you let your anger get in the way at the end there."

"Could I have tagged you?" the senshi wanted to know.

Ranma thought about it a few moments. He didn't want to be patronising. "Yeah, I think you could have, with some more practise." He looked over at the other two girls. "You might want to consider taking what she does before practise."

"What do you mean -" started Rei.

Mitsuki shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Ranma shook his head. "I know what you three get up to in your spare time. I don't particularly care, I've got my own problems to face as well as saving the world, so worrying about the others' identities... well, that's not high on my list of priorities."

"What other problems?" Rei wanted to know.

"I'm expecting one any time now," Ranma said, looking down over the prefecture below. In the sudden silence, he could hear footsteps, coming up the stairs. He looked over, and saw someone familiar walk up them. "I thought it would be Kasumi," he muttered.

******

Hotaru watched the new arrival carefully. The exercise had drained her, very much so, and with her training gi on over her fuku (weirdly enough, it did a good job of hiding it) she let her transformation drop, and felt the lack of power sweep through her like a staff between the shoulder blades. She sagged, and Rei helped her to stand up.

"Why did you do that?"

Hotaru knew what Rei meant. "He already knew. About all three of us."

Rei didn't press on that one. Mitsuki looked like she wanted to, but was also distracted by the arrival of the newcomer. Something seemed familiar about her. She wasn't sure what. The walk, the face... of course. Had to be the sister - some relation at least - of that Akane girl who had claimed to be her Ranma's fiance.

She wasn't anymore.

The girl walked up to Ranma, seemingly unconcerned. She looked him in the eye. "Do you know how much your little stunt cost me?"

"Nabiki. Always a pleasure," Ranma replied. "Shall we take it inside?" He gestured at the door to the dorm. Nabiki looked at it, then peered around Ranma to see the three women standing behind him. The door opened, and Usagi and Makoto walked out to call everyone in for breakfast.

Nabiki's eyebrows rose, and she turned back to Ranma. "I see why you don't want my sister any more. Quite the harem you've got. Consider selling -"

"No." Ranma folded his arms across his chest, looked angry. Still in sensei mode, Hotaru noted. Nabiki didn't seem to quite know how to handle it. She cocked her head to one side with a smirk.

"So. You know how daddy wants this engagement to go ahead. You know your father -"

"Leave our parents out of this. They're off in China, or somewhere else by now, dodging Happosai again, and this time, I ain't bailing them out." He paused. "Not just yet, anyway. What do you want, Nabiki?"

Nabiki glared. "You calling off the engagement is very costly to my family. And to my sister. Deep down, she really wanted this."

"Aww, come off it, Nabiki. Deep down, yeah. But on the surface? She beat the crap out of me whenever she had the chance. What was I supposed to do? Live with a wife who doesn't trust me even when she's *with* me? Live with a wife who thinks beating her husband up is acceptable behaviour? I got news you ya, Nabiki, I don't want to live my life like pops."

That took Nabiki off-centre a little bit. "What makes -"

"Why do you think dad ran off with me for ten years? I slowly put it all together. Something happened between him and mum. And... well... I don't want to drag my children off around half the world, hiding for a decade until my *child* can protect me."

Time for the big guns. Nabiki leaned forward. "It's broken Kasumi's heart. I had to talk her out of coming up here and doing this herself." She whispered conspiratorily. "You know what she's like when she gets angry."

Ranma glared back at Nabiki, but didn't speak for half a minute, until he could trust his words. "Nabiki. Your sister, Akane, has routinely beat me up and belittled me, refused to trust me at all, and has on several occasions, gotten me into mortal danger. For what? For a marriage? To a violent woman who can't control her temper?" He snorted. "Please. Not even Kasumi could make me go back to that." He turned, and started to walk away.

"Ranma. You haven't heard the last from me on this."

"I'm counting on it, Nabiki." He stopped near the girls, looking studiously at the ground. He heard Nabiki turn, and walk away, down the stairs. Almost as one, the five women crowded around him. Hotaru slipped her hand into his and gave him a reassuring squeeze before letting him go and stepping back so the others could variously hug him or offer him some kind of support.

He looked confused at this show of affection. He looked up, looked right at Usagi, and finally asked, "It's been confusing me a while. But you all accept me, like I was one of the group. Why do you do that? Why treat me like a good friend? You don't know me, don't know the troubles I can bring -"

Usagi stopped him with a finger. "Ranma. I may think you're not as handsome as my Mamo-chan. But one thing we're not is unfriendly. We're a tight group, almost like family. We're living together now... and you live here, too. For all we moan about things? You do a good job as manager of the dorm. We've got nothing to worry about when we come home from university. Washing is done, food is cooked, house is clean - and things are being fixed. You might not realise it, but you listen to us, or seem to. You... do so much for us, we can't leave you out. You are part of the family."

That obviously meant a lot to Ranma. He cleared his throat, and nodded, briefly. "Thank you, Usagi. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got togofixtheroofsomemore." And he quickly walked inside, heading for the stairs.

Usagi raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

Hotaru stepped through the girls. "I think he's crying."

Makoto watched the younger senshi disappear up the stairs after Ranma. "That's a surprise. What do you think it was?"

Rei sniggered. "Listening to one of Usagi's speeches, no doubt."

"HEY!" *Whack*

******

Ranma looked up at the sky from his position, a smile on his face, a couple of tears in his eyes, with some tracks of more down his face. "They think of me as family," he said. For him, that was possibly the greatest thing that had ever happened to him. The Tendos might not have treated him as such if he hadn't been betrothed to one, and Nabiki certainly wouldn't hold back now. Kasumi was a dark horse, as well. And Ranma had no doubt that Nabiki wouldn't hesitate to tell the other Nerima inhabitants where he was now, and what had happened... with a suitable twisting.

Damn, he needed to be ready. Intensive training.

Hotaru appeared above him, smiling. "Hello, sempai."

"Hotaru-chan."

"Sempai?"

"Yes, Hotaru-chan?"

"Can I... sit with you?"

"Of course you can."

...

"Sempai...?"

"Yes, Hotaru-chan?"

"Can... we hold hands?"

SAILOR MOON SAYS:

Mini-sub arc coming up here for the next few parts, I suspect. Am I going to do the "What is Kasumi, really?" schtick? Likely. It's so fun speculating! Anyway. Thank you for the detailed reviews, some of the bits and pieces in them I am going to try and cover over the next few parts. I do mean to include more on the personal lives of the senshi and Ranma around the dorm, and outside of it, too. This will, of course, tie back into the various plot strands weaving through the storyline - which will be great fun to write, I'm hoping even more to read.

So. What can you expect in the next part? Another Sailor Moon says, I know that. Do they hold hands? Yes? No? We find out. The second date is coming. And what exactly had happened to Artemis and Luna? Stories in the next chapter :)


	12. Truth - Chapter 11

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff. Existing characters are properties of the people who made them up. Mitsuki, and several other characters are mine, and so's the story, hence ownership and copyright of them belongs to me. Contact me at domino@linksnet.nu if you want permission to use anything I've written for whatnot purposes.

TRUTH

by

Raymond Cooper

Chapter 11

** No Use For Usagi? **

And lo they did grin mightily when they came down from the roof.

******

Breakfast was over, and Makoto was cleaning up, Ranma helping out by carrying dirty plates and glasses in and stacking them for washing. She watched him as he moved items around to make room, pile smaller plates on top of larger plates, made a general effort to be clean. Considering he hadn't eaten breakfast with them (but then again, neither had Hotaru - they'd both been up on the roof for the last hour) this was a surprise. But she didn't complain. It was nice to have someone help.

And to spend time with Ranma.

Makoto didn't kid herself. She didn't want Ranma as a boyfriend or anything, she didn't like him that way. But she saw, when he was in one of his quiet, contemplative moods, that side of himself that was struggling to break free from a crysalis, and by all appearances had been trying to do so for a long time.

The sensitive side of him, the responsible side, that part of him which looked out for others. Previously, she guessed, he'd just been that way when things had gotten too bad, or maybe when done to friends. But... he was looking inwards now. His break-up with his fiance proved that, looking to see what would help him best in his own development, not merely swallowing what others said without evidence, but checking through it to see if it was something he could use.

She started washing, and noticed Ranma had picked up a tea-towel to dry them. That was good. He dried while she washed, and they chatted back and forth, quietly, amicably. Halfway through the dishes, Makoto saw Hotaru's reflection appear in a window in front of her. But the young senshi merely nodded, smiled, and ducked back out again, a wistful look in her eyes. That started Makoto. Most girls she'd been around (and, she admitted, being cutting in her truth, her herself as well) were fairly protective of their boyfriends around other girls. And while Ranma and Hotaru weren't an item... Makoto was sure that was only a matter of time.

She smiled at Ranma. "So, how are things with Hotaru?"

"We're just avoiding the subject of Nabiki, aren't we?" Ranma returned.

Makoto paused, then nodded. "We've all talked about you," she admitted, "After you've gone to bed at night. Well, most of us. *Some* of us have more important things to do." She pulled a face as Rei slashed past outside the window with a bokken, working on perfecting offensive technique. "And we've all heard you say at some time or another... that you've got girl troubles. Surely this Nabiki isn't *that* bad..."

Ranma shrugged. "She's a callous manipulative bitch who's only true love is money. You can be sure as soon as she's back in Nerima she'll be selling my location and whatever evil I'm supposed to have done." He paused, and sighed. "No, I'm doing Nabiki a disservice. She does care for her family. I think she might even have considered me family... up until today."

"You think she'll be hurt?"

"Hurt enough to cause us all a lot of pain." Ranma shuddered. "She probably thought the threat could make me go back. And to be honest," he admitted, "I nearly did. Nabiki mad is something you don't want to see. And Kasumi... gah." He shuddered again, and almost dropped a plate.

Makoto took it from his fingers, and then the towel. "Go. Rest. Or eat something. I'll finish up here."

"You don't mind?"

She grinned. "Not at all. I'll do some baking afterwards. Biscuits, cakes, rolls... got a long week at university this week, and a lot of hungry mouths to feed."

Ranma nodded, and headed for the door. He put his hand on the frame, and turned back a moment. "At least we can eat your cooking."

"Yours isn't that bad, Ranma."

He flashed a grin in reply. "I didn't say it was mine I was referring to." And then he was gone.

******

Usagi set another saucer of milk down for Luna on the bed, while Minako did the same for Artemis. Then they waited while the cats lapped up the milk. They'd only been back a day, and already the food and rest was showing true on them. They were filling out, ribs not so well-pronounced, fur not sticking out at odd angles as skin run directly over any bones, the fur itself looking much cleaner and glossier. What did bother both girls was that the cats were covered in multiple scratches and cuts, some of them having been very deep. Several were encrusted with scabs, and had dried, cracked, flaked, then leaked again, rebuilding the scab, several times in the last three weeks.

"Thank you," Luna said, leaning away from her saucer. "That's very refreshing, thank you Usagi."

"That's okay, Luna. You've had a tough time." Usagi bit her tongue for all of thirty seconds, then opened her mouth to say something, But Luna spoke first.

"You want to know what happened to us."

Usagi nodded, shifting to the floor so she could look into Luna's eyes. "Mmmm hmm."

Luna looked over at Artemis, who nodded. "It's better to tell them, Luna."

The black cat looked directly into Usagi's eyes. "It is a hard story to tell. It's why you, and the other senshi, are here at this dormitory. And why we took so long to get here. You see..."

******

Sailor Pluto stared at the cats. "I've told the senshi their mission."

Luna stared up at the green-haired woman staring down at her, coldly. "But we've defeated the last -"

"There is never a 'last'," the senshi spat. "There is always more. That is why there are still senshi, and no peace in the universe. Destroy one, more will spring up to take its place."

Luna and Artemis exchanged glances. Artemis spoke. "But Pluto, we've had no indications of anything being spawned. You, yourself, haven't given us any warning of things dire from the future."

Pluto's eyes narrowed. "Because this current evil... the senshi cannot beat. They need to grow up. They need to learn new things. They have to learn how to get by with nothing but their wits."

"This is why you're sending them to Tokyo University?"

"Yes Luna. That's exactly why." Pluto stood upright and folded her arms. "They will learn, or they will die."

"University surely isn't that cutthroat..."

"Artemis, there are things worse than study in this world. They will find that out soon enough." Pluto opened a portal and stepped through it.

The two cats looked at one another, confused. Artemis shrugged. "She still didn't tell us why we got no warning."

******

"When you girls left us, three weeks ago, we were all prepared to follow a day later, so you could sneak us in, as planned." Luna paused, and looked at he companion again. He took up the story.

"But we didn't count on... something bad."

******

The hospital wing exploded. A wave of dark energy swept out, faster than thought, and washed over the two cats, who were walking past it at the time. Chips of concrete sliced through them before they could hide behind cover, but their not-quite-normal physiologies started sealing the most major of the wounds before they could become fatal.

A large enough chunk, though, would have killed them.

They huddled, until the debris stopped flying. And then they poked their heads up. Rodents fled the building in terror, heading for somewhere, anywhere, else. One behind them paused. It looked back, why, the cats would never know.

But out of the clouds of dust, a woman in a nurse's uniform carried a shiny black thing . She was bleeding from several wounds that were closing up as the cats watched, and the black thing stared at the rodents. Then it climbed down out of the nurse's arms, and lifted a hand to point at the hesitating rodent. A black blob spurted out of its palm, and smashed into the rat, consuming it. It squealed in pain, agony, then twisted and swelled up to double its normal size. Long, sharp spines pushed from its back, five claws fused into two claws with a rear-facing third. Muscles burst from the creature, and tentacles waved from the snouth of the beast, which had teeth that tripled in size.

The nurse and creature turned, and walked back into the rubble. Luna and Artemis, shocked into immobility, could do nothing but watch as the creature grabbed a person, and sucked them dry of fluids, then ate the meat right off the bones. The nurse followed likewise. 

The rodent-thing sniffed the air, then turned to look at the cats. It snarled, and two of the tentacles lashed out at them. They were so fast, Artemis and Luna barely had a chance to avoid them, and the slashes slipped through their fur and sliced them. Thankfully they were only surface wounds, and the two felines leaped towards the rat, intending to inflict some damage of their own on it, but it was too quick. Dodging, the rat then flicked its newly-enhanced bladetail at them. Luna jumped one way, Artemis the other, and the blade sliced into the concrete of the footpath.

It was about then that the cats decided they had best run away.

With a flick of their tails, they leaped and bounded, dodging and sprinting, until the rat was far behind them and around several corners. There, they panted and regained their strength. Both felt something, and looked towards the far end of the alley they hid in - the senshi sailed past the entrance. And moments later, above them, a young man carried the last of the available senshi - Saturn.

Luna called out, but none of the senshi heard. No wonder - she was trying to be quiet, lest she attract the rat-thing stalking them. Artemis turned from the other end of the alley, where he had been cautiously peering out. "It's after us."

He didn't need to say more, and the cats ran off, hearing the skittering of claws on concrete behind them, never gaining, just occasionally giving them time to breathe, as if this was but a game to it...

******

"And then," Luna finished, "we spent the last three weeks avoiding it."

Artemis filled in the rest of the story. "Every so often, we would wake to find it entering where we had hidden to sleep. Or it would catch up to us to toy with us. We think we finally got away from it, though... it had been herding us away from this place, as if it knew we wanted to come here, and were keeping us away."

Usagi nodded, and glanced at Minako. "Wow. You guys have had almost as exciting a time as we have."

"You've said," Luna replied.

Minako added, "Many times."

Usagi grrred at her friend, then looked back to the cats. "But what makes you think you avoided it? Maybe it let you come back here?"

Luna looked at Artemis. Artemis looked back at Luna. "Crap," both said in unison. Usagi's and Minako's eyes opened wide.

"I didn't know you knew how to use language like that!" Usagi said, surprised.

Luna eyed Usagi warily. "Meow."

Downstairs, and outside, there was a wet squishing sound. Then Rei yelled out, "I've got it!"

******

Makoto opened the kitchen window, and leaned out to see what Rei was yelling about. On the end of her bokken, she had a huge rat-like thing impaled. It gesticulated for a moment, then the movements subsided, and it finally fell still, eyes growing glassy and dead. Rei lowered her weapon, and the thing slid off it.

Then she gave it a hesitant kick, then a stronger one. Nothing. It didn't stir.

So she picked it up and put it in the dorm's industrial-sized bin.

******

The cats raised their eyebrows, looking down from the window. "I'm impressed," Artemis muttered.

"She made that look so easy," Luna responded.

"Huh. Must be all that extra training. The three of them are learning so much from Ranma." Usagi sniffed. "We'll find out tomorrow just how good he really is, though."

"Why's that, Usagi?" Minako asked.

"Mamo-chan's arriving for a little stay." Usagi's face lit up, brighter than the sun.

"Uh, Usagi? He can't do martial arts too well..."

Usagi glared. "Who said he was coming to compete in martial arts?"

******

Ranma lay on his bed, arms folded behind his head, staring at the ceiling. He'd pulled his curtains, so Rei would stop peering in as she went past his window, working on her bokken technique, and it was relatively dark in his room at the moment.

He heard footsteps outside his door, coming from the rear of the dorm - very probably the hot springs. They went into Hotaru's room, and the door closed. There was movement from in there for a few minutes, then the door slid open again. Footsteps across the hall to his door. Hesitation.

Ranma grinned. Just as he heard the whisper of her clothing, as she raised her hand to knock gently on the closed door, he called out, "Yes, Hotaru?"

"May I come in, sempai?"

"Yes."

The door slid open, and Hotaru stepped inside. She was dressed in yellow shorts with rolled-up cuffs, and a button-up short-sleeved white shirt with a sleeveless pale blue vest over the top. Her hair looked damp, and she had slip-on shoes on her feet, a towel in one hand. She used the other to slid the door partway shut behind her. "Sempai? Could I ask you a favour?"

Ranma nodded, waiting.

She looked uncomfortable, and squirmed.

"Hotaru-chan?"

That was all the prompting Hotaru apparently needed. She sucked in a deep breath, and asked, "Sempai would you be able to help me down the stairs and take me for a walk to the park I can understand if you don't want to but I'd like you too if you're not busy and -"

He raised a hand to cut her off. She fell silent like he had pressed a stop button on a cassette deck. "Hotaru, of course I'll go with you."

She smiled, her face brightening. "Perhaps we could even do some practise beside the duck pond?" Ranma nodded. "And eat ice cream?"

Tempting. But no. Ranma shook his head. "Not this time. Let's just get some exercise, huh?"

Hotaru nodded, and stepped outside the room while Ranma changed his clothing. When he stepped out moments later, she stepped out to the side, looked up at him. He took her hand lightly. "Come on, we'll go tell someone where we're going." Hotaru nodded.

The first person they found was Makoto, in the kitchen still. "A walk in the park?" she asked, her eyes twinkling. Hotaru blushed. "Well, take some lunch with you. I've made some..." she looked at the table in front of her, packed with food she had been preparing for university use by the seven girls - as well as making lunches for Ranma. "Uh, sandwiches. Take these." She held up two packets of sandwiches, and both Ranma and Hotaru thanked her before heading out.

******

The phone rang. Makoto sighed - no one around. Ranma and Hotaru had left only ten minutes earlier, and weren't in the house, so they couldn't answer it. She dried her hands off, and walked out into the front lounge to answer it.

"Hello?" It was a man's voice. She recognised it immediately. "Oh! Mamoru! Uh, hi. Yes, Usagi's here. Do you want me to go get - no? Okay. Yes, that should be fine... I don't think anyone'll worry about it. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. That's it. Just there. Mmm. Okay... see you then." She smiled, and hung up the phone. Mamoru had managed to arrive early, bringing some of Usagi's things from his home she'd forgotten the last time she'd been over there. They hadn't seen each other in three weeks... a little over, Makoto realised, nearer four. And they had to both be itching to get at each other. She smiled again, and headed back into the kitchen.

******

The park was quiet, green, with sparkling water. The duck pond in the middle of the park was a great place to relax, calm down, focus and concentrate, Hotaru found, as Ranma stepped her through some tai chi moves in warm-up. They stepped through those they usually did in the mornings, then went through some new ones. Ranma noted her form was improving no end, she was flowing from one movement into another with ease now, gracefully. It was when those moves were sped up that she started having problems... but control of that would come with time.

After the tai chi, they moved into the usual tae kwon do katas. He'd picked them for the group because tae kwon do was easier than some of the other martial arts, and was something of a mass movement in certain areas - and groups were always assured anywhere. So if the girls had left him, they could have picked up on their training elsewhere. It was a nice bit of forethought he'd had, he thought, congratulating himself for a moment. But then he was back into the training, assisting Hotaru with comments and demonstrations.

"Will we be sparring today, sensei?" Hotaru asked after a while.

Ranma shook his head. "Let's not spoil it, eh? Just practise some moves."

Hotaru nodded. They worked some more, doing reverse spinning side-thrust kicks, and Ranma wondered if it might be possible to teach Hotaru something the others could already do, but did little of...?

He gestured to her. "Come here." She obediently trotted over to stand next to Ranma, and he stood in a ready pose. "Stand ready." She did. "Now, check your target." She picked a spot out far ahead of her, as did he. "Spin. Weight on the front foot. Weight off the back. Bring the back leg up tight to the body." Hotaru wobbled, Ranma stretched out a hand to steady her - they were doing this slowly, he had expected her to wobble a little. He removed his hand once she had her balance again. He noted with pleasure she hadn't taken her eyes off her focal point. "Complete spin. Twist leg, thrust foot forward. Hit with ball of foot." He paused. "I'm going to say this all at once, then I want you to copy it, okay?" Hotaru nodded. "Jump off high with front foot. Drop back foot down for balance and landing position. Flick front foot up into kick with ball of foot. Then the tricky part. After contact with your target, continue the leg's spin. Bring the other foot up to increase spin. Kick with back foot as it passes target... then flip completely, land on front foot. I'll demonstrate."

And he did, flawlessly. Not a standard technique - heck, not even one in tae kwon do. But a combination of several techniques, which was what he wanted Hotaru thinking about. Moving from block to punch to kick to block was all very well and good - but blocking with two limbs, and kicking, punching and jumping with the other two at the same time were so much better. Speed was of the essence in combat, when it was for blood, for real, and not for show or play. He was taking a chance here. Transformed, he knew Hotaru was capable of the effort with ease. But without her transformation... he just wasn't sure. Even if she were capable of it... there was every chance she might not be capable of doing much else in a fight.

Yet, a move like that, timed at exactly the right moment, could very likely turn the tide in her favour. Enough strength behind the kicks, she could snap her opponent's neck, break a nose, smash a cheek, pop an eye, something drastic. It was such a design flaw of the human body that so many vital and important things were so close together on the face.

He moved to stand directly next to her. "I'll catch you if you can't make it." 

Hotaru nodded. "Can I start from the beginning?" Ranma nodded. She moved back into a ready position, and gathered herself. Then, she spun, accurately delivering that first kick with all her strength towards her target point. With barely a hesitation, she then leapt up, kicking. Then spun that leg up further, bringing the other with it. She got the second kick out, flinging her body backwards, feeling the world and her balance spin -

- and with that came the realisation that she was going to hit the ground, head first. She didn't have enough spin, and was dropping -

- but strong arms caught her, swung her around a little so the sudden stop didn't hurt her, slowing until Ranma could stop moving without her feeling pain. He nodded appreciatively at the young senshi.

"That was very good."

"I failed, sensei."

"That's not important, Hotaru," he followed on. "What is important is that you combined moves, like a martial artist in anything other than a demonstration fight should be doing. What is also important is you gave it your best shot. You can't ask more than that of someone. But this training will be doing your body good... I picked this move to test your skill, ability and strength. I want you to think about this move, and when you think you can do it, we'll try again, okay?"

Hotaru thought about that, and nodded. "Yes, sensei."

Ranma smiled. "Come on. Time to eat." They sat and ate their sandwiches, watching the ducks on the pond, silent.

They went home not long after that. And on the way home, Ranma bought Hotaru an ice cream.

******

There was a man at the top of the stairs. Young, early twenties, Ranma guessed. Still older than him, though. Hotaru dropped off his back, and stepped up beside him. Her eyes opened wide as the young man turned to look at her, and both smiled.

"Hotaru!" he said.

"Mamoru!" she replied. "Usagi will be so glad to see you!"

The man, Mamoru, nodded. "I arrived early." He gestured at two of the three bags at his feet. "I brought some of her stuff with me, too. She left it at my place before you all left for here."

"Ranma-sempai, this is Mamoru. Usagi's boyfriend," Hotaru added. "Mamoru, this is Ranma, our dorm's manager and caretaker."

Ranma stepped forward a little cautiously, but put his hand out. Mamoru took it, and they shook hands. "You're not gonna try and beat me up, are you?" Ranma asked.

Mamoru chuckled. "No. Actually, some of the girls told me about you a week or two back. Said you were a competant martial artist?"

Ranma smiled nervously, and raised his hand behind his head, trying to find somewhere else to look. "Uh, well, yeah, I guess so," he managed to get out before the front door to the dorm opened.

Usagi stepped outside, looking behind her at whomever was pushing her outside. "Really, Makoto, I don't need to come out here and," she turned her head to the front. And froze. And blinked.

"Mamoru?"

"Usagi," her boyfriend replied.

"Mamoru!" Usagi launched herself into his arms, and they spun around. Ranma stepped back.

"I, uh, guess she likes him, eh?" he asked Hotaru.

The girl nodded. "Yes, sempai." And slipped her hand into his.

SAILOR MOON SAYS:

Well, I wanted a nice soppy happy ending for this chapter, sue me :)

Some character development, what happened to the cats, things between Hotaru and Ranma made a little clearer. I'm growing to really like these two as a couple... I can just see it now... scary.

Oh yeah... one pic I did really quickly the other night... http://www.netaccess.com.au/~domino/Hotaru1.JPG (with the capitals in the extension) is a very quick sketch pic of Hotaru, ready for the first date they all went on... just before Mitsuki turned up. Some stuff wrong with it that, if I ever get around to making a proper, decent version of it, I'll fix up. Including the hair. But I thought I'd share :)

Hmm. Next part, I don't know exactly. Mamoru's here, so let the competition begin! The date is finalised. Competition lines are drawn. And all the rest. Expect some other characters turning up, too!


	13. Truth - Chapter 12

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff. Existing characters are properties of the people who made them up. Mitsuki, and several other characters are mine, and so's the story, hence ownership and copyright of them belongs to me. Contact me at domino@linksnet.nu if you want permission to use anything I've written for whatnot purposes.

TRUTH

by

Raymond Cooper

Chapter 12

** No Need For Usagi! **

Nighttime, several hours later.

"Usagi..." And he sighed, trailing kisses up Usagi's clothed back.

"Mamoru - what are you - hehehe - doing - hehehe - ?" Usagi rolled over, still giggling. Her boyfriend was snuggled up against her, naked.

"Why are you dressed?"

"Well, you know," Usagi said, with a frown, "I didn't want to presume, you know? You're only here for a few days. I thought you might like to talk." Not that Usagi wanted Mamoru talking... she wanted him tearing off her clothes and throwing caution - and the non-soundproofed walls - to the wind. That'd show Rei that, unlike her, *someone* was getting the real thing in this place.

"You sure?"

Usagi shook her head. "Convince me otherwise."

"Sounds like too much hard work," Mamoru smiled easily, and propped himself up on his elbows. "So, let's talk. How's university going?"

"Hang on," Usagi frowned again. "Strip me off. Make mad passionate love to me. With me!"

Mamoru shook his head. "No... I just want to talk. That *was* what I came up here to do... Just think - three days in which to catch up on everything! And nothing physical at all to get in the way! It's gonna be great super neato fantastic -"

******

"AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!"

Usagi sat bolt upright in bed. Mamoru, naked beside her own naked body, jerked into wakefulness. "What?" he mumbled. "Not again... you've already tired me out." He collapsed back to the futon, and started snoring again.

Usagi looked down at him, and yeah. Yeah, now she could remember. That had been a dream... they'd been at it for a couple of hours before exhaustion had claimed them both. So just a dream. She could sleep happy now. Usagi dropped back onto the bed, smiled, and fell asleep instantly.

******

The next morning saw Mamoru wake long before Usagi. He smiled down at her prone form, sprawled, shameless in her sleeping poses. He dressed in a robe, and took a quick shower down the corridor at the nearest of the communal bathrooms - weird that Usagi picked a room without a bathroom, he thought. But that was her. Weird. He smiled, as he walked back into the room, and picked out his clothes for the day while his girlfriend slept the sleep of the dead.

He donned the clothing, and headed downstairs. He could hear something from out the front of the dorm, and was interested in seeing what others were doing up just after dawn. Mamoru hadn't really thought either of the new people he'd met the night before were the kind of people to be up at dawn - and of the senshi he did know, maybe only Rei would be up, for meditating.

Mamoru opened the front door, and was greeted by the sight of Rei and Mitsuki battling with wooden bokken. He moved to step in between them, find out what was going on - then realised both were in martial arts-styled training gi's. Hmm. Training? He glanced over to a collection of rocks on the edge of the dorm's plateau, and nodded... training. Ranma and Hotaru were watching, also wearing training gi's. Ranma was asking Hotaru questions occasionally, nodding and pointing at the two women fighting back and forth. Hotaru was answering. So Ranma was the teacher? Mamoru's respect of him jumped up a notch - Usagi hadn't said anything about this, just that he liked to fight. Mamoru had been prepared for a violent drunken brute, from all he had been told.

Not that he expected Usagi to tell him anything different. Knowing her, she probably saw Ranma as competition for their own relationship.

Especially if any of the senshi had fallen for him. Usagi would really be jealous then. Mamoru suppressed a grin - Usagi's friends were only allowed to fall for her boyfriend - himself - so she could feel superior. Considering she was such a klutz, it was something people had long-since forgiven her for.

He stood back and watched as Ranma called time for the match, and the two women stopped, lowered their bokken, and bowed. Then they turned to Ranma, bowed again. Ranma stood up. "That's it for this morning, girls. You've got to get ready for classes."

"Yes, sensei," the three girls chimed, bowing again (Hotaru joining in this time, Mamoru noted) before Mitsuki and Rei headed inside. Hotaru stayed with Ranma, and they exchanged some quiet words and a smile. Then she turned and headed inside as well, very happy. Ranma walked around, picking up practise gear and holding it under an arm.

Mamoru pushed off from the wall and walked out towards the other young man. "Ranma!" he called on his way over.

Ranma looked up from the equipment. "Oh, hi. Mamoru, wasn't it?" Mamoru nodded. "Nice to see you don't share Usagi's habits. She'll be late for her classes this morning again, I bet."

"She always is," Mamoru agreed. "Although she was getting better before the end of school."

Ranma shook his head. "I wouldn't know. I've only seen her here." He paused, and started checking over the condition of the equipment that had been used that morning, running fingers lightly over them to check for defects, splinters, weaknesses. On one bokken, he found a small dent that had raised a couple of splintered pieces of wood, but he removed the sharp bits, and smoothed the dent out with a callus on his thumb. "But the others tell me she's doing well at her studies."

"You're not at university, Ranma? Usagi says you finished high school last year as well."

Nodding, Ranma looked a little rueful. "I, uh, have to work to pay off a debt. I'm not smart enough for university anyway... I missed out on a lot of school when I was growing up." That wasn't quite true; Ranma was very smart - and could likely have made it through several courses... if they focussed on things he knew about, like physical education, or anything relating to martial arts. The problem was, missing out on the school work he had meant his grasp of mathematics was a little limited. At least he could read, he consoled himself when he thought of missed opportunities. Rounding out these problems was the fact that Ranma had a limited attention span as he grew up - as he got older, his attention span lengthened, but even two years ago, he couldn't focus enough on things that weren't to do with martial arts - a legacy of ten years of a training trip.

"I'm sure you could find something." Mamoru nodded encouragingly. Ranma didn't seem to be particularly dull. And if Hotaru liked him, well, that *had* to mean something good. "But what's the debt? If you don't mind me asking."

So Ranma recounted the story of his father, attempting to teach Ranma some new tricks. How it had backfired dramatically. And how his father had blamed him for the damage caused. How Ranma had been told to earn the money for repairs, to take responsibility for his actions. How he had gotten the job in the first place, and how long it would take him to save the money up.

"Would you return to Nerima when you've got that money, though?" Mamoru pressed.

Ranma shook his head. "Not a chance. Not at the moment, anyway. Nabiki - my ex-fiance's middle sister - is probably stirring up trouble for me back there. I think I might be safe here," Mamoru noted Ranma didn't look like he believed that, "but Nerima is going to be hot. Too hot."

Ah. That made sense. Mamoru went to ask more, but the doors opened again, and Makoto poked her head out. "Breakfast, Ranma! Oh, hi, Mamoru." She smiled at both, then ducked back inside to supervise the kitchen.

Mamoru glanced at Ranma. "You let her cook?"

Ranma shrugged. "Hey, she's better than me. And remind me to dig you up some of the biscuits Akane sent with me before you go..."

******

The technogeek wandered the corridors of her school, monochrome VR glasses wrapped around her head, earphones over her ears, a dataglove on her right hand as she navigated both the halls of her high school and the caverns of the catacomb Tenketha. She bumped into someone, surprising her - no one else was supposed to be in school this early.

Natsumi raised the VR headset, and looked up... the bulk of her real life nemesis stood before her, arms crossed. He didn't look happy. In fact, he glared down at her. "Otohime. You're late with your... protection money." He slammed a meaty fist into his palm for emphasis.

Once upon a time, Natsumi Otohime was cowed by this teenage boy. But not now. She peered down one direction of the hall. Then peered down the other direction of the hall. Then she turned back to the bully. She was supposed to keep her power down for a few days... until she was stronger... but this would be no big threat, no big blast of power.

And smiled cruelly.

******

A scream echoed down the halls of the school, quickly cut off.

******

In a video game parlour, on the other side of town, some early-rising schoolkids were already pouring hard-earned yen into machines. Two were busy playing the new fighting game, Token Battle.

The first selected Anya, the succubus with the huge bare breasts, skimpy loincloth and huge wings. She scowled out of the screen. The second picked Vlad, a tall, thin vampire. He bowed politely at the screen and doffed a tophat. "All right! Finally!" the first kid yelled. The screen showed the arena they would be fighting in, and gave a quick voice over about each of the characters, with flashcards showing an image of them and their strengths and weaknesses.

Ryogi pulled a face. "Hurry up already!" And then the game went to the match screen. On the right-hand side of the screen was Vlad. But on the left...? There was a teenage boy, in the school uniform the two players wore. They vaguely recognised the face of someone in a higher year level than themselves, and that he was rather agressive, but nothing more than that. The first kid, Hiroshi, booed. "I want my Anya with the big," and he made appropriate hand motions. Two girls watching gave looks of digust, and left.

"FIGHT!" the machine announced. And both boys leapt to their joysticks and buttons. Vlad approached the player listed as Bully under his health bar, spread his arms, and jumped at Bully. Bully swung his briefcase up, smacking the vampire in the jaw. But Vlad ignored the hit - marginal health loss - and made an evisceration attack with both hands, depleting the health bar of Bully to zero. The screams from Bully sounded eerily realistic. Then, in a victory move, Vlad dropped down and fastened his fangs onto Bully's neck, and began to drink.

Ryogi cheered. Hiroshi grumped.

******

Breakfast time. Even Usagi was awake now, tying her hair back in its usual twin ponytails with one hand while eating toast with the other. Mamoru watched with amusement.

Rei had taken her time, but was finishing up now, and was already cleaned and dressed for her day. She looked tense. Ranma was taking his time, chatting with Hotaru and Makoto (both of whom were eating the last of their bowl of rice and vegetables) before they left. Mitsuki had long-since finished, and was staring off into space, sighing every so often. Ami ate toast without thought, gazing at her laptop's screen, smiling. Minako danced into the room happily, and picked up an apple.

"I'm in love!" she announced.

"You're always in love," Makoto returned.

"But this time it's special!" Minako continued. "This boy on the tv, he's so cuuuuute! The cuuuutest thing you've ever seen!"

Which let Ranma off the hook nicely, and he knew it. Thankfully, Minako had long ago stopped chasing him. Well, it seemed to be a while ago. Ranma wasn't really sure, as he hadn't been paying attention to that, and had been trying to work out his feelings for Akane while repressing his recent feelings for Hotaru.

Minako danced out of the room, and Hotaru looked up with sorrow at Ranma. "Sempai? I've got to leave now." Ranma nodded, and they both stood and walked out. Makoto followed, chatting away with both still as they walked out the door. Ranma poked his head back in a moment later.

"Leave everything out, I'll fix it up when I get back." And he was gone again.

Mamoru looked over at the door. "Where's he going?"

Usagi slurped down a drink and burped. "He carried Hotaru up and down the stairs."

"Want me to come with you today?"

Usagi shook her head. "Thanks, but not today. Tomorrow? I've got a stupid test today." Mamoru nodded, and Usagi kissed his forehead. He caught her, and gave her a decent goodbye kiss. "Wow. That's been a while."

Mamoru grinned, and nodded. "That's true. See you this afternoon, then." Usagi nodded as well, and was gone.

Rei finished, took her plates up to the sink, and rinsed them out, before turning and leaving herself, after saying goodbye to Mamoru.

That left Ami, who was still gazing intently at her laptop's screen.

"Good email?" Mamoru asked.

Ami nodded. "From my... boyfriend. He's talking about what we'll be doing this afternoon." Ami smiled. "He's so funny!"

"And he's making you late."

She looked up. "What? Late? Are you -" She caught sight of a clock. "Oh dear! I'd best be going now, bye Mamoru, see you tonight, maybe, or tomorrow night, or something!" Her hand rested briefly on his shoulder as she flew past him and out into the front lounge. The front door echoed with a slam, then all was silent.

Mamoru stood, and walked around the entire dorm. It was large, spacious, and had its own hot springs out the back. In addition to that, a number of the rooms had their own bathrooms. He couldn't figure out why Usagi's room didn't have one - or rather, why Usagi picked a room without one - and when Ranma arrived back, Mamoru asked him.

"We kept having problems with the plumping," Ranma explained. "So we moved her until I can rip everything out in her original room, and fix it right, then put it back. She'll be back in there in a week or two. I should be finished by then." He started on the dishes, and when Mamoru picked up a towel to dry them off, he shook his head. "Part of the service, my man. Although Makoto likes to cook more than I do."

Grinning, Mamoru refused to put the tea towel away, and began drying. "Least I can do for the guy who's currently supporting Usagi."

Ranma snorted, with a grin of his own. "Don't you mean, putting up with her?"

Mamoru's grin grew wider. "I'll have you know, she's actually a very sweet girl, who likes nothing but the best for her friends. She's kind, compassionate, gentle..."

"Didn't sound so gentle last night." Ranma shrugged. "But she is a nice girl. If a little opinionated."

"It's something one learns to live with," Mamoru replied. "Although I think it helps we were together in a past life..." Whoops. Too much there.

Ranma looked over. He looked surprised. "So, you believe in past lives and stuff?" he asked.

"Yeah, I do," Mamoru nodded. "Uh, I've got direct experience."

"Ahhh..."

"But I'm surprised you believe it. At least, it sounds like you do."

Ranma smirked. "I've been around. I've seen some weird things. Time-traveling mirrors. Phoenixes. You name it."

"How about women in fukus fighting evil?" Mamoru asked, only half-serious.

"Been there, done that," Ranma replied.

"Really?"

Oh dear, Ranma thought. Only one of them knew that he had been involved in fights with them for certain. Well, there was that time in the restaurant Hotaru had told him about... so he told Mamoru about that.

******

Tokyo University.

The grounds stretched out around Ami and Keitaro as they sat and ate lunch. Both were fairly quiet, studying from textbooks hard as they could. Every so often, Keitaro would say something, and Ami would reply, laugh lightly, and go back to her studies. She felt Keitaro needed the help with his studying (apparently, his home life wasn't too quiet) and so lunch times became a study session for them both.

This morning, he had a bruise around an eye. He did his best to keep it turned away from Ami, but she still wondered how he got it. He'd gotten embarrassed and nervous when she originally asked, and had laughed it off as a bruise from walking into a door.

Ami had noted a number of bruises from time to time, but this was the most promiment one.

There were footsteps behind them, and then a shadow fell over them. "So, this is who you're sleeping with now," a woman's voice said. 

Ami turned. "Excuse me?"

Keitaro froze up, and his head clicked around slowly and cranked back to look up. "N-N-N-Narusegawa!"

"*This* soon after we broke up! Disgusting!" And she hauled him to his feet. "What do you have to say for yourself? Eh? Why did we break up? Eh? Because *you* wanted someone else!" She belted him with a fist, then turned and stalked off.

Keitaro crashed to the ground a few metres away. Ami just gaped, turning her head from the departing woman to her new boyfriend. "Keitaro? Are you okay?"

He sat up, rubbing his jaw. "Yes. Yes, I think I'm okay. Ahh... that was my... ex-girlfriend."

"I noticed. What happened?"

"Um... well," he sagged, "You've seen how she is, just from that. I couldn't take that happening two, three times a day. Didn't trust me at all. There'd be accidents - what do you expect in a dormitory of six women, half of whom run around like madmen - and most would be real accidents... and she'd hit me. She just... I don't know." His eyes turned to follow Narusegawa as she stalked off the fields into the classes, and blinked slowly behind his glasses. "I still love her, Ami. I don't think I'll ever stop loving her. Which is unfair to tell you. But... I know, unless I can find a way to stop her hurting me... we could never be together. So I broke it off."

Ami nodded sympathetically. She'd heard similar things, from Ranma, and from Ranma via Hotaru. Violent spouses. Seemed to be going around in Tokyo and its outskirts these days. She drew Keitaro to her, and hugged him. He hugged back, then pulled away. "I'm sorry, Ami. I can never love you like that."

"I think you already have," Ami observed.

******

Mamoru and Ranma spent a quiet day at the Ai Sou. Ranma worked on the bathroom in Usagi's old room... and Mamoru helped out, by ferrying tools around and holding pipes for Ranma to tighten. With Mamoru, Ranma found the work went much faster.

Mamoru looked over at Ranma during one break, where they sat up against different walls with drinks of hot tea. "Is there anything between you and Hotaru?"

Ranma grew uncomfortable. "Uh... there might be. Why?"

Mamoru smiled. "She's a nice girl. You know, Usagi'll be thinking that your relationship will be competition for her. She'll start comparing you to me with Hotaru, most likely. Trying to prove she's got the best boyfriend." He chuckled.

Ranma did likewise. "Man... I could whip you in a fight. But that's about it," he conceeded.

"Maybe not," Mamoru returned with a sly grin. "But it would be fun finding out."

Ranma nodded. "So, why did you bring this up? Just as a warning?"

Mamoru shook his head. "No. Actually, I was wondering... if you and Hotaru would like to go on a double date with Usagi and I?"

The offer was tempting. Ranma stopped and thought about it, a frown on his face for a few moments while he did so. Then he smiled, and nodded to Mamoru. "That'd be great. I think Hotaru'll go for it. I'll ask her tonight."

"For tomorrow night? My last night here."

Ranma nodded. "Sounds fine." He gestured back at the bathroom. "C'mon, man, let's see if we can get this finished for Usagi before you leave." They drained their tea, placed the cups down, and went back to work, each wondering just how the double date would turn out.

SAILOR MOON SAYS:

Okay, I knew I'd stuff something up sooner or later. Hotaru is 16 in his fic, not 14 (thanks to Kpjam for pointing that out!).

The reason for Mamoru talking about Usagi the way he does? They've been going out for a while now. People do see these things after a time... and they do share, from time to time. This is just one of those times.

Next chapter: The double date. Natsumi Otohime some more, and Keitaro finds a way to defend himself against Naru... does this mean the end for Ami's newfound relationship?


	14. Truth - Chapter 13

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff. Existing characters are properties of the people who made them up. Mitsuki, and several other characters are mine, and so's the story, hence ownership and copyright of them belongs to me. Contact me at domino@linksnet.nu if you want permission to use anything I've written for whatnot purposes.

WARNING: Some lemonish stuff and bad language in this chapter, too. Read at your own risk!

TRUTH

by

Raymond Cooper

Chapter 13

** No Time For Usagi **

"You look like you'll have fun," Mitsuki commented critically from behind Hotaru. The younger senshi turned to face the older.

"Huh?"

"Skimpy black dress. No bra - not that you need one, sorry - and knee-high boots. Someone is out to get lucky tonight." Mitsuki chuckled as she folded her arms, leaning back on the wall behind her.

Hotaru turned back to the mirror, straightened her dress and checked her makeup. Everything looked good. And this time, she hadn't had Minako's help, which was a bonus. But the older woman's carefully chosen words made her reconsider. Maybe she should wear something else? Maybe she should find a jacket. Or a looser dress. Or something she actually *could* wear a bra under. Something. Anything! There was a knock at the door.

It was Ranma. "Usagi and Mamoru are ready to go, Hotaru-chan. And the taxi'll be at the bottom of the stairs in five minutes' time. Ready?"

Hotaru took another look in the mirror - and decided this was no time for nerves. Well, not real ones. She could fake the rest. She reached to open the door, but Mitsuki grabbed her hand, and pressed something into it. She looked down, and was horrified. A foil packet? She didn't need one of these. The blush was unbidden, and when she looked up into Mitsuki's face... she didn't see the hard, competitive look she'd expected - instead, she saw concern, sadness - and something deeper that she couldn't pick out. Fear? Why would that have come to mind?

She didn't know. But the woman's face softened, and she nodded at the door. "He's waiting," was all she said before stepping back into the shadows. Hotaru watched a moment, then slipped the packet into her handbag, slung it over her shoulder, and opened the door.

Ranma stood there in a tuxedo - the same one he'd worn last time, Hotaru realised, that had been expertly repaired. Looked like Makoto had been doing some serious work around the place.

Usagi and Mamoru were standing outside the front doors, waiting anxiously for Hotaru and Ranma. Both exited, and closed the doors behind them, then they all started off down the long stairs. At the bottom, the taxi pulled up just as they stepped off the last of the stairs, and Ranma held one back door open for Hotaru while Mamoru held the front open for Usagi. Then both climbed in themselves either side of Hotaru, Mamoru sitting behind Usagi. The taxi headed off to the restaurant.

Naturally, the discussion turned to which eating establishment they would eat at. "I hear the Hungry Cat has had good reviews," Usagi mentioned. Ranma turned slightly pale.

"Er, let's go someplace else," he suggested quickly.

"How about the Thunderbird?" Mamoru asked. No one had any complaints for that place, so they headed in that direction.

******

Keitaro answered the knock at the door of the Hinata Sou. Ah. He knew the person. "Mutsumi?" he asked, quietly.

Mutsumi Otohime nodded cheerfully. "Hello, Keitaro. I've got a favour to ask - oh dear, those look bad!" She reached out and touched one of Keitaro's more prominant, visible bruises. He winced, and looked nervously back into the dorm's lounge. He stepped outside, and pulled the door shut. Curious, angry eyes followed him.

"It's not safe for you to be here, Mutsumi," he whispered quietly, urgently. Mutsumi took no notice. "Keitaro, can you do me a favour?"

"Mutsumi - if Naru finds you here -"

Mutsumi interjected. "It's important, Keitaro-kun... I need to go somewhere for a few hours in secret and need someone to look after my sister. Can I trust her to you?"

Keitaro was momentarily taken aback. "Sister? I didn't know you had a sister!" Then he quietened down again. "If you'll leave right away, yes, I'll look after your sister."

Mutsumi smiled widely, and stepped aside. Behind her was a fourteen year old girl, obviously Japanese with the dark hair and skin tone. Keitaro idly wondered why Mutsumi didn't look nearly as Japanese as her younger sister did. "This is Natsumi. She'll be no problem for you, Keitaro-kun. I'll only be two hours." She smiled again. "Thank you for looking after her for me." She gave Keitaro a light kiss on a cheek, and headed off down the stairs towards the road. Keitaro stared at the girl.

He found it weird she was wearing a pair of headphones and some kind of VR eyegear at night, but shrugged. The Otohime's seemed to be weird, all of them, anyway. He gestured towards the stairs. "Want to go get something to eat?"

Natsumi smiled. "Yes, thanks you, Keitaro."

******

The taxi driver overcharged them, but Hotaru, Ranma, Usagi and Mamoru were at the restaurant, and had been seated almost immediately. That was a pleasant surprise, and thus the bad experience with the taxi was soon forgotten. Now they chatted amicably between themselves.

Ranma and Mamoru were both surprised to find Usagi being polite to Ranma and Hotaru. While Usagi wasn't nasty by nature, she had a little bit of a jealous streak. Perhaps she hadn't wanted to ruin her last evening for a few weeks with her boyfriend, Ranma thought. Mamoru agreed, although neither knew they'd each had the same thought.

The entrees came fast, and the service was good. Once they'd finished, they ordered a few drinks, and began to talk in earnest, about how things were going, where they'd all come from, and the rest.

Hotaru started.

"My life's been weird. For years, I was sick. Having attacks that weakened me. And they only got worse. It turned out I was possessed by..." she gave Ranma a meaningful glance, "an evil entity that wanted to use my... me. I was regressed to a baby... and given to two friends of ours to raise. But... another friend who has access to... some arcane knowledge, she found a way to speed up my aging process to what it should have been." She lowered her head a little. "Since then, I've been catching up on my school work, trying to find out how badly affected I was by everything." She didn't say much more of meaning. Ranma raised eyebrows most of the way through. Usagi watched Ranma carefully, trying to work out if Hotaru telling him all that had been such a good idea. But at least she'd left out any references to the senshi.

Mamoru leaned forward. "So, how are Michiru and Haruka? I haven't seen then in a while now."

"They had to go away," Hotaru said quietly, looking down. "Setsuna said they had to go away."

"But why?" Usagi asked. "Why would she want them gone? That's what I can't understand."

"Setsuna?" Ranma asked.

"A friend of ours," Usagi replied.

"She's got long flowing green hair, and a staff, Ranma," Hotaru supplied. Usagi glared at the younger girl. "What? She does!"

"Long green hair and a staff...?" Ranma was reminded of something, but couldn't remember exactly. It rang a very serious bell in his head, anyway. He decided to let it roll around in his head for a while. Mamoru commented on his own history, before Usagi took centre-stage with an epic retelling of the life of Usagi Tsukino, all the highs and lows (with bits edited for public viewing).

After a time, about the time their mains arrived, it was Ranma's turn. He glanced at Hotaru, then looked across the table at Usagi. "I think it's time I told you all about some of my life. It's a long story, but exciting. And may... shed some light on recent events, and events that will come." He settled in to tell his story.

******

Keitaro sat next to Natsumi in an ice-cream parlour. The lights protected against the cold darkness outside, and regardless, Keitaro found himself shivering. Natsumi didn't take the VR headset off at all, preferring to keep it on. How she navigated or saw was anyone's guess. Keitaro didn't know how.

She finished off a sundae, and waited. Not for Keitaro, he noted, but something else. Like she was listening for something. He supposed it was something on her headphones, but after a moment, she dropped them down around her shoulders, and continued waiting.

"Is there something I can help with, Natsumi-chan?" he asked.

The girl turned her head and looked at him, then turned away. She turned back a moment later, and stared. At least, Keitaro assumed she was staring. A hand came up and lightly brushed over his bruises. He found she had the same light touch her older sister did. It was a nice touch. And the look on her face... sad... so sad...

"Maybe I can help you with something, Keitaro-kun." She stood, and started walking past him. A hand gripped his, and pulled him from the chair easily. "Come with me."

They walked outside, down two blocks, over another three. Then they stopped by an alleyway. "Natsumi-chan," Keitaro said nervously, looking around, "It's not very safe here. We should go."

Natsumi turned, and grinned. For the first time in several days, she dropped the VR headset, showing her eyes. "Keitaro-kun." They glowed, red, in the darkness. Keitaro found that frightening, incredibly so, but was rooted to the spot. She gestured down the alleyway. "Down there is the means to be strong enough to stand your ground." She raised the headset again, and waited. Keitaro's feet made the decision.

Deep inside the alleyway, something stirred. Something big. Something strong. Something completely black, apart from two fiercely glowing white eyes.

******

"When I was young, my pop convinced my mum we'd go on a training trip. Just him and me. And we did." Ranma sighed. "For ten years, we wandered Japan and China. My dad couldn't read Chinese, which led to some interesting adventures there. But for me... it started at the house of a friend of pop's... Matsuda, I think his name was."

"First or last?" Hotaru asked.

"Does it matter?"

"Mitsuki's surname is Matsuda."

"Coincidence." Although, in Ranma's experience, there was little that coincidence actually accounted for. He felt that Fate was constantly laughing at him. "His daughter had run away from home, destroyed a large part of it, and we went looking for her. I... found her, and we talked. She gave me some advice that I didn't understand then so much as I do now. Don't rely on others. It's only you who can make things happen. Only you that you can really count on.

"She ran away, and I never saw her again." He frowned, and tried to remember something. Something about a green-haired woman...? Late at night? He couldn't remember, so he went on with his story. "Pop trained me in multiple forms of martial arts. While my pop might be a thief, and a weak person in general, he's very good with his combat skills. He taught me most of what I know. Experience taught me the rest. No matter what I feel for him... I owe him respect for teaching me about the ways of honour, and respect, and combat. Even if he doesn't have much of the first two." Ranma snorted. "Some of the attacks I learnt were things like the Nekoken... er, why I have my phobia of cats, remember?" he added when Usagi looked completely blank.

"Pop... engaged me to a girl without me knowing. Her name was Ukyou, and she was my best friend. Pop stole the dowry and took off with me. I thought it was a game, but it wasn't. We were supposed to take her with us, and we didn't. On our trip, pop found out a place called Jusenkyo. It's, um, a place of cursed springs. So we both got cursed, because of him. And another friend of mine... found us there, although we didn't know at the time.

"After Jusenkyo, we found out way to a village, where pops laid into a meal laid out on one of the tables. Turned out this was a prize feast for the winner of a combat competition... this was an Amazon village. And pop had just eaten the first prize. The winner wasn't very happy, and vowed to hunt me down." Ranma was skipping a few details so as not to bore his listeners. But they were hanging on every word. This was the most any of them had heard him speak.

"This girl was called Shampoo. She followed us back to Japan, where pop informed me I had been engaged to a child of a friend of his years before, when he had promised his firstborn son - me, his only born son - to one of his friend's daughters. That friend was Soun Tendo... Usagi, you know him, he was the one who dropped Akane off." 

Usagi nodded at the memory.

"Akane got picked. And for a while, things seemed to be okay. There'd be no wedding, we hated each other. But... as time went by, and we faced trials together... we... found we did have feelings. Occasionally, Akane'd be very nice. Very. But at other times..." Ranma sighed, and looked off into the distance. "Akane... would be very violent. She didn't trust me. She was really aggressive. And other people didn't help me much. There was a guy called Kuno. He loved Akane, kept trying to beat us up. And my... friend and rival, Ryoga. Shampoo tried to kill me, then found out I was really a guy, and gave me the kiss of marriage - which means we're engaged. Then Ukyou turned up also... and I had three fiances. Kuno's sister, Kodachi, completely crazy like her brother, fell for me. I just couldn't win."

"Wait - this is in Nerima, right?" Mamoru asked. Ranma nodded. "Yeah... I thought so. We've seen some of that on the news. Very... powerful stuff."

"The world's nearly ended several times," Ranma grinned dimly. "A few months ago, I felt I could love Akane. We'd grown closer and closer... she wasn't being so violent. So we tried a marriage ceremony. And her sister, Nabiki, screwed it up for us. I think that was the last straw between us, though... Akane got worse again, I got sick of the bruises. When pop tried to teach me some ki attack combinations that he couldn't control himself, I used that as an excuse to get away from the dojo. I've got to repay the Tendo's. I broke up with Akane... for a lot of reasons. But I'm enjoying being away from her, you know? I'm not being attacked by her or anyone who loves her at all times of the day... I'm not being hit by my father for little or no reason... I'm not being used or abused by any of the Tendo sisters... it's nice just to lean back and relax."

"Ranma?" Usagi asked. "Why did Shampoo think you were a girl?"

"Um... you don't want to know."

"Yeah, I do."

Ranma shook his head. Hotaru leapt to his defence. "You expect some of these people to attack you now?"

"I've broken up with Akane for the last time. I hope." Ranma sighed, thankful for the interuption. "Nabiki'll stir up the Nerima pot good. She's probably telling them I abused her, or showed her disrespect or something." He shook his head. "Or even paying them. And she'll be making money on the side by taking bets on who'll lose and how fast against me. She's not so interested in attacking me directly. That's not Nabiki's way. She'll undermine my credibility or something, use these guys as a diversion. I wish I knew what she was up to."

Hotaru thought she might have a way to work on that, but said nothing. Ranma started eating his meal. "So, that's my life. It's been hard... but I've learnt a lot from it. That's how you gotta look at these things. Else... you go crazy, I guess." He shrugged.

Hotaru nodded beside him, and wrapped her arms around one of his arms, and laid her head on his shoulder. "Yes, sempai... and we like you just the way you are."

Ranma smiled.

******

Natsumi took Keitaro by the hand, and walked him back to the front door of the Hinata Sou. He was a little dazed, and one of the lenses of his glasses were cracked. His trousers and shirt were all mussed up, as well, with a tear in his shirt. He stared blankly at the door. Natsumi waved a hand in front of his eyes. "Are you alright, Keitaro-kun?"

Keitaro nodded distantly. Seeing... that monster had made him... very frightened. At least he'd retained bowel control... something he could be proud of. Natsumi hadn't when she was taken before their new king.

She let go of his hand. He seemed to wake up a little then. "What... what did it do to me?" he asked.

"Gave you what you wanted," Natsumi replied. "The strength to be able to stand up for yourself." There were footsteps behind them, and both turned around to see Mutsumi walk up with a smile on her face. 

"Ah! Keitaro!" she said, happily. "I hope my sister wasn't a problem...?"

Keitaro shook his head. "No. Not at all." Natsumi wandered over to Mutsumi's side. He nodded goodbye to her. She nodded back. Nods of equals. Nods of gods.

Keitaro would understand soon, Natsumi thought. He would realise what had happened tonight. And when the seed within him fully flowered... it would be something of joy for her, and the others. She smiled, and left with her sister.

Keitaro continued on inside the dorm, heading for his room. Narusegawa intercepted him, and Kitsune pointedly looked away from the scene that was about to develop. Naru was mad.

"What was *she* doing here?" Narusegawa demanded. "You sleeping around now? You jerk!" She wound up, and sent one of her patented punches designed to send Keitaro flying dozens of metres.

But her fist slammed into his face... and he didn't move. And it was long seconds before Naru felt the pain of her broken fingers and pulped flesh. Keitaro just pushed past her, and headed towards his futon to sleep.

Narusegawa stared at her bloodied hand.

Then started to scream in pain.

******

Back at the Ai Sou, the girls had prepared for the return of Usagi and the others. They stood about the door to Usagi's old room, waiting. Steps came up the stairs, and Usagi came into view first, followed by Mamoru. Usagi's eyes grew wide as she saw the senshi up by her old room. Did this mean...? She took steps towards it, and opened the doors - all her furniture had been shifted back in, everything moved into place as she'd had it before having to have moved out. When she looked out again, she had tears in her eyes. "Thank you. Thank you all."

"Tonight I might get some sleep," Rei grumbled. But she winked at the two of them quickly before turning away and heading back towards her room.

Mamoru took Usagi into her room, and shut the door. "Ranma wanted it done so we could spend my last night in here. It's, uh, kind of soundproofed a little better than your previous one."

"Oh? Is it?" Usagi asked with a twinkle in her eye. "Then I guess you can make some more noise, then." She pushed him down on the bed, and they started to kiss.

******

Downstairs, Ranma and Hotaru were parting awkwardly. Neither knew what to say or do. Hotaru had something in her handbag that made her feel very nervous, and yet very... strong. Mature. Weirdly enough. She leaned up against him, then lifted her head and kissed him on the lips. Their first kiss. Neither wanted to break it. But they had to, in the end. Ranma gazed down with concern - were they moving too fast? Geeze, he hadn't even done this with Akane... well, there had been once or twice when he was possessed, or trying to make her feel better... but not because he really *really* wanted to, like he did now.

Hotaru was worried maybe they were moving too slow for Ranma, and fumbled in her handbag, pulling up the foil packet. She didn't have to say anything. After a confused glance, Ranma realised what it was, and shook his head. "Not tonight, Hotaru. Not... for a while, perhaps. I've... been hurt before. And I... want something like that... to be with someone I know is really special." He felt he had just put his foot in it, and winced inwardly.

But Hotaru understood. She smiled, and nodded. "Then, for now, sempai, it is holding hands and kissing. And maybe a little more, if you're a good boy." She winked so fast, Ranma wasn't sure he'd really seen her wink. Then she stepped back into her room, already peeling the dress off as the door slid shut. Ranma breathed a sigh of relief, and entered his own room, shutting the door behind him. It would be a long day for them tomorrow... both of them.

And neither knew just how much...

SAILOR MOON SAYS:

I am sorry, but the frequency of the chapters appearing on the net might stretch out a bit more than it has been, for the simple fact that I've started TAFE again now, and am stressing over that ;) As if that's not that much of a problem, classes have been rearranged, and I've got to turn up for an extra calss I originally didn't have to... and we've got major projects and functions to organise this semester... gah. So instead of every 1-3 days for a new chapter, expect one every 2-4. Sorry about this, but class is going to have to come first over all else. I'll try to keep it interesting, though :)

Once more, I want to thank those who have given reviews, especially the constructive ones. They've pointed out where I need to add some more lines in occasionally - Neptune and Uranus had been mentioned twice before this part, but were obscure references - and suggest I'm right in taking the story where I am taking it. I hope that holds true in later parts, where things will change. Thanks also for those who have sent email questions... I hope I've answered questions there as fully as you would have liked :)

In the next part? Hotaru starts a new school. Ranma... er, has some problems of a monstrous nature. And the thing is moving towards the next confrontation in this section of the arc. Things are heating up. Catch you then!


	15. Truth - Chapter 14

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff. Existing characters are properties of the people who made them up. Mitsuki, and several other characters are mine, and so's the story, hence ownership and copyright of them belongs to me. Contact me at domino@linksnet.nu if you want permission to use anything I've written for whatnot purposes.

TRUTH

by

Raymond Cooper

Chapter 14

** **

Nabiki entered the gates of Furiken. Thus far, she'd managed to stay back two years for her business purposes, but that would soon have to change. Why? Well, she wanted a change of scenery. She'd just about screwed everyone out of any money they had... and after all the years they'd put up with it... they were slowly wising up to some of her schemes.

Sure, some of her lower revenue ones... but still that was something that she was more than a little miffed about. Maybe a new school, or even university, might be her new challenge...?

But there was a new girl today. Talking with one of Nabiki's friends, looking nervous. Small, dark hair, white skin. Hmm. Nabiki didn't recognise her from the area - must be from just outside the immediate district. Nabiki's friend, Tsukino, was a couple of years younger than Nabiki herself, and wasn't quite a friend - she was much more someone who felt to gain notoriety at Furinken High, she'd best stick with those on top.

Hence, Nabiki.

The new girl smiled, and nodded nervously at something Tsuki said, then repeated the nod very emphatically. Nabiki headed over, more out of curiousity than anything else. Maybe she'd be an easy mark - or hopefully, a challenge. Nabiki hadn't had one of those in a while.

Tsuki looked up as Nabiki walked up. "Heya, Nab-chan. How's the morning?"

"Not bad," Nabiki replied. She turned to the new girl, and smiled. "Looking better."

The new girl blushed lightly. "Uh..."

Tsuki elbowed her lightly in the ribs. "She's not meaning it like that, silly. Least," she added, slowly, giving Nabiki a weird eye, "she hasn't meant it like that recently..."

The new girl paled even more. Nabiki frowned. "Oh, leave her alone, Tsuki... can't you see she's not finding that funny?" Nabiki stepped up to the girl, and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. She lowered her voice as a comforting older sister might. "You're new to the area?" The girl nodded. "You should know something about this school... it's inhabited by perverts. All of them. All the guys here. And they like... what do they call them, Tsuki? Fresh meat? Yeah. So... stick close, hmm? To Tsukino or me. We'll protect you." For a cost, Nabiki didn't add. Tsukino knew that was a given.

"Thank... thank you, sempai," the girl said.

"So, what's your name?" Nabiki asked.

"Hotaru," the girl supplied.

******

Umiko moved around restlessly. Her scales were softening now into more natural skin tones, the claws still evident, but more manipulable. Her mouth held sharp teeth, but the lips looked human. In fact, with anything but a detailed examination, she might in fact pass for human, albeit slightly deformed. But even in Japan, this wasn't unheard of. A few bandages here and there, and voila! She'd pass for human easy.

Her charge, though, wouldn't. It was four feet tall now, and roaming the apartment they were staying in. The room smelt of the distinctive coppery reek of blood... they had killed the previous occupant and moved in themselves. Their Generals were even now growing powerful, ready for their inevitable confrontation. Their job was to protect the master... whatever it was becoming... whatever it would want. It didn't seem to know yet... was just acting on instinct. But that instinct was creating powerful monsters as Generals - able to spawn their own monsters when needed.

If they waited long enough for their full abilities to come in. Umiko's were, now, a month after she'd been changed. She could feel the change finishing up in her body. She'd then be strong. Very strong. She might start spawning her own followers of the master soon enough. When she was looking completely human again... that would be the time. She knew that.

It would be soon.

Very, very soon now.

******

Ami noticed Keitaro was acting differently today than he had even the day before. She wasn't sure why, but she assumed he'd had a good night the night before.

She couldn't have been more wrong.

Keitaro ate lunch with her, quiet for a change. Ami was confused by this; usually he spoke more, usually he acted a little more humourously... even if it wasn't supposed to be funny. But today... he sat. And brooded, if Ami could call it that. What was going on here?

Something had her on edge, too, which was confusing her a little more. It was almost like their was a Dark Kingdom monster around... and yet not. She couldn't make heads or tail of that feeling, and it kept her nerves on edge, waiting for an attack she was sure wasn't coming.

Keitaro's head turned, and Ami turned to see what he was looking at. There was a young girl about one hundred metres back, at the edge of the field they were eating lunch in. She looked to be a little younger than Hotaru, and had some kind of eye-gear on. Even at this distance, Ami could see the smirk on her face.

Keitaro's head turned again, and this time he was looking at that Narusegawa-woman. She was stalking towards them again, but she halted, half a dozen metres from them, confused. Almost as if she expected Keitaro to cow before her...? And he wasn't? This was getting more confusing. Ami noted her right hand was bandaged.

"Keitaro," Narusegawa began, hesitant at first, voice building in strength as she continued. "Keitaro, what the hell do you think you were doing last night? You -"

"You did it yourself, Naru-sempai." Keitaro's voice was flat, as it had been all morning. "You hit me. I didn't hit you."

Narusegawa held up her bandaged hand, angry now. "What do you call this, then? You *must* have done something, you violent pervert!" She stepped in a little closer.

Keitaro merely gazed steadily up at her. "Who's the violent one? Who hit whom? Hmm?"

This was getting too weird. Ami started moving back. She could feel something here, some dynamic... something was wrong. On impulse, she got her laptop out and waited for it to power up while she listened with half an ear to the conversation beside her.

"That's not the point here, Keitaro! Look what you did!"

"Narusegawa, everyone saw last night. As usual when you hit me. I didn't do anything; you were the one to-"

Slap. The sound made Ami turn around - Narusegawa's uninjured hand was resting on Keitaro's face, almost as if she was stroking him intimately. The look of hate and anger on her face belied that fact. Faster than Ami could appreciate, the look changed to one of fear. Keitaro's head hadn't moved, even though this girl was used to being able to snap his head around, or send him flying, with just such a move. This was scaring the woman. She took a step back. Keitaro smiled, and started after her.

"Stay back!"

"Naru-sempai... I don't want you to get the wrong idea about me... I'm not violent. You're violent. You're doing this to yourself. You should see yourself."

Ami's computer beeped, and she turned. It showed something... something weird. Negative energy again. A forced projection of it. But... not draining anything... not quite. It was... pouring into something else? Spawning another monster? No... it couldn't be, she decided. Not enough power there to corrupt a single gene, let along millions of them.

It could be enough to change a mind, though...

She looked upwards at Keitaro, then stood, quickly packing her things. She couldn't change here, and if Keitaro was like the others... she'd need help. She knew who he was, though... that made it both more difficult and even more easier. She'd be fighting her new boyfriend. But she knew what he was.

"I'm sorry, Keitaro, I've got to go..." she explained as she hurried off.

Keitaro smiled, cheerfully. "I'll see you another time, then, Ami-chan. I promise."

Ami nodded. "Count on it." She hurried off.

"So, Naru-chan... let's see just how violent you really are... hmm?" Keitaro smirked.

******

Ranma walked slowly along one of the many streets in the prefecture, shopping bags held in his hands. He wandered along, mostly window shopping at the moment, but checking out things in those windows with a bit of care, in case he might genuinely need something within. He hadn't seen anything yet, but he was on his way back to the Ai Sou, and thus it didn't really matter how fast he went.

He looked up - and saw a girl walking towards him. She had apparently just left an older relative, judging by the wave she was getting from a slightly oblivious young woman walking away from her, but the younger girl, she didn't notice at all. The older didn't mind, and continued on her way.

Ranma... felt something wrong about this girl. He couldn't tell what it was exactly - how was he to know that this was Natsumi Otohime? - but it felt dangerous. Bad. Like those... Dark Kingdom things he'd been fighting with the senshi of late. He gave her a cautious look, and moved to the other side of the footpath as they passed. Her head snapped around, technical eyegear - one of those new VR headsets, Ranma realised - facing Ranma and seemingly boring through his skull.

She stopped. Ranma kept walking, trying to act nonchalant, knowing that he'd already blown it by paying too much attention to her. Damn. She was following now, he could hear the footsteps. She was keeping a distance of maybe a dozen metres... and Ranma had no intention of letting her get closer. He passed a corner, looked down that street - and smiled, dodging down it quickly.

Natsumi hurried to the corner, and turned around. There were a few people in the street, but no sign of the man she'd been following. There was a girl wearing similar clothes, bright red hair, with shopping bags clustered around her feet... Natsumi narrowed her eyes and peered at the girl. No... it couldn't be. That *was* a girl, after all, even if the bags and clothing looked similar. The girl was looking into a store window. Out on the road behind her was a water main that was ejecting water into the air as workmen tried to repair a hole further up the line.

Natsumi gave the girl a final look, then turned, and started walking away in the original direction she had been heading in.

Making sure the monster-girl had left for real, Ranma sighed in relief. Thank god he hadn't told anyone about his curse... well, apart from Hotaru, who'd found out completely by accident. He gathered his bags, glared at the workmen who were staring at him and his cursed body, then walked off for the dormitory.

******

When Ranma arrived back at the dorm, he found the girls all sitting in the front lounge by checking through a window. Oh dear. He quickly ran around the back, jumped up over the fence into one of the hot springs, and doused himself thoroughly, changing him back into his normal, male, body. He then went back to the front door, opened it, and walked in. The girls fell silent as he entered, and passed through the room into the kitchen. He noted that Hotaru wasn't here, which was weird... although it was before the end of school, usually when the girls had a meeting such as this, they were all in on it.

Rei and Mitsuki's eyes followed him into the kitchen, then as the door shut, they turned back to Ami. "He could help us," Mitsuki supplied.

Usagi slammed her hand down on a table. "What? Am I hearing this right? You want our *manager* to join us fighting Dark Kingdom monsters?"

Rei shrugged. "He beat me when I was transformed. That makes him plenty strong."

"And skilled," Mitsuki added.

Usagi sighed and shook her head. "Where's Hotaru?"

"She's coming," Ami said, not looking up from her laptop. She'd been attempting to find a method to the energy patterns she'd detected, wondering if it would be possible to reverse the transformation in Keitaro. "She's just started a new school today... it's a little far away from here. Nerima."

Silence.

"Isn't that where Ranma came from?" Makoto asked, helpfully.

Rei nodded. "And where that Nabiki woman lives."

"Oh god, the sprat's run off to be her boyfriend's white knight," Mitsuki spat. "He can fight his own battles."

Rei and Usagi both glanced at Mitsuki as the older woman stood and stalked off. "What's crawled up her nose?" Usagi asked. Rei shrugged. Usagi turned back to Ami. "So... have you figured out how to stop this monster?"

"This monster's a friend of mine," Ami said, quietly. "I'd prefer we don't hurt him too badly."

Mitsuki wandered back into hearing range just in time to catch that. "Oh, that's rich. We've killed all the others... but this one's your boyfriend, that makes it different. Have you girls stopped to consider that the others we've taken down have had families, loved ones, relationships, maybe even kids? And we've just been killing them?"

"I didn't see you suggesting otherwise," Usagi yelled in return. The accusation obviously stung. The senshi knew it was true - they'd go that bit further for a friend.

Mitsuki shrugged. "I'm a soldier. I'm a weapon. I don't lead, I don't offer suggestions. You point me at your enemy and pull my trigger, little girl, and I do what I get told. And you haven't said not to kill them once yet."

Usagi jerked back, eyes wide in anger, horror, and a dozen other conflicting emotions. Her mouth moved, but she couldn't say anything.

Makoto stepped in. "Come on, everyone. Calm down. We... might not have looked to save the people before, but we will from now. Agreed?" She glanced around each of the assembled senshi in turn, waiting for a nod. Even Mitsuki reluctantly agreed. "Right. Ami? Have you found any way to change them back yet?"

Ami shook her head. "The energy emanations from Keitaro, and from them all thus far, is different to the usual Dark Kingdom patterns we've encountered. I'm attempting to correlate the new changes against one another, and hoping to find out if there's some way we can change them back with our existing powers. Otherwise..."

"Would my Starlight honeymoon therapy kiss, or even my crescent wand, be enough to change them back?" Usagi asked hopefully. If there was an easy way, this would be so much easier.

Ami shook her head. "I don't think it would. They appear to target a specific structural componant of the Dark Kingdom energy patterns, and that componant is not evident in this form. In fact, they could have bad, and unpredictable, results."

"Bad as in we kill them?"

"Bad as in we make them worse."

"Make what worse?" Ranma stepped into the lounge again with a tray full of snacks. He took up a position on an empty chair. Rei and Mitsuki didn't seem to mind, Usagi noticed, and Makoto wasn't too bothered, either. But the girls fell silent completely, following Usagi's lead. "What? What'd I do?" Ranma looked hurt.

"We were..." Rei started, then fell silent under a glare from Usagi.

Mitsuki wasn't under any such compulsion. "We were discussing the monsters you've likely seen or heard around the place."

"Oh... there's one walking around town at the moment." Ranma chewed on a rice cake idly, belatedly realising jaws were hitting the floor all around him. When he did notice... "What?"

"Was it a man, about your age, with glasses and dark hair?"

Ranma shook his head. "Girl, about Hotaru's age, with a VR head-"

"-set," Ami finished, looking up. "I think the sister of someone... Keitaro knows. Are you sure?" Ranma nodded. Ami nodded at Usagi. "We've got our transmission point."

"Transmission point?"

Ami went to explain to Ranma, but Usagi held up a hand, then smiled at Ranma with a bright cheery smile that obviously looked false. "Nothing, Ranma, nothing at all. We're all just gonna go out now, and go back to classes. Could you ask Hotaru to look us up when she gets here? Thanks. We're going now, bye!"

And the senshi all hurried out the door after Usagi, throwing apologetic looks back at their manager. Ranma was left along, in the lounge, with a plate full of rice cakes, and nothing but confusion to show for it.

"Sempai?"

Ranma turned at the sound of Hotaru's voice. She looked a little meek, as she held the school fuku and jug of cold water. He nodded. "Yeah, I thought so."

"We'll catch up quickly, sempai."

******

Catch up quickly they did. Saturn and Ranko caught up quickly to the senshi as they flew along. Ranko bounced from rooftop to rooftop, keeping pace with ease.

"Saturn!" Nemesis called out, shifting her flight path to move closer to the younger senshi. "Glad you could make it." She eyed Ranko carefully. "She's back again?"

"I met her on the way from the dormitory, after Ranma told me where you were going," Saturn replied. "We've got a lead on one of the monsters?"

Nemesis nodded. "Yeah. Bitch of a thing, too - Mercury's boyfriend." Nemesis snorted.

Mercury's boyfriend? Ranma thought. Weird. He'd heard the name Keitaro mentioned... and Keitaro was Ami's boyfriend... maybe they were talking about someone else. They had to be. Ranma found his eyes drawn to Mercury, but his eyes kept sliding off. He swore she looked like Akane... but Akane, a senshi? Yeah, sure... although... she certainly was strong...

He shook the thought off, and continued leaping.

Sailor Moon just glared at Ranko. She didn't say anything; didn't have to. Saturn intercepted the look, and flew up towards her. "She's a good fighter, Sailor Moon, and we need her."

Sailor Moon continued to glare.

Presently, the grounds of Tokyo University came into sight. The senshi alighted near where Ami had been having lunch with Keitaro, on a small hill in one of the small fields around the campus. Mercury checked her visor - nothing here. But residual energy patterns led up towards one of the buildings... a refectory, Mercury noted. "Up there, come on!"

The senshi ran. Ranma hesitated a moment, feeling something behind him. He turned - and there, several hundred metres away, was the girl - Keitaro's friend's sister? She was watching him, carefully. Damn... Ranma knew she recognised his girl form. He might not be able to use that particular disguise again when confronted with her. Oh well. He turned, and followed the senshi - one monster at a time.

******

The senshi burst into the refectory, prepared for battle. But the place was packed. Strangely enough, with people trying to run for their lives.

In the middle of the dining room stood Narusegawa, throwing punches left and right. The power behind them seemed superhuman, but Mercury's visor said she wasn't a monster - but under some kind of mind control. Mercury pointed this out to the senshi, who fanned out. "Keitaro's got to be here somewhere!"

Sailor Moon nodded, and looked at Narusegawa, who was injuring students and lecturers alike. "Ranko, whatever your name is, take care of her before she hurts someone. We've got someone to find."

Ranma nodded and leaped into the crowd of people. Saturn saw her friend disappearing around Narusegawa, and made a distraction so the others could get out of the way. Then he gestured to the wild woman, and made an unofficial challenge to her. She responded.

"Is he here, Sailor Mercury?" Sailor Moon asked.

Mercury was checking her visor. "I'm not... wait... over there." She pointed at the counter. Keitaro sat on it, chewing on a chocolate bar. He was watching Narusegawa with interest as she threw punches and kicks at Ranko, and watched the other woman dodge them all. At Mercury's words, he turned, lazily.

"Ah. Was wondering when you'd all show up. The master said you might." He thumbed his glasses up his nose, then hopped off the counter. He cracked his knuckles, and stood lightly with his feet shoulder-width apart. "I think I'm ready for you."

The senshi started moving towards him, but his gaze shifted from their approach to behind them. "Ah, Natsumi-chan. Just in time to help?"

They all felt the burst of dark power from behind them as Natsumi released the blocks hiding her power. Ranma staggered under the assault, Saturn noticed, assuming correctly he must have felt it more powerfully than herself and her companions. She'd have to ask about that, she thought, filing that away in her head.

Natsumi smiled. "Yes. I'm here to help. A little. Mostly to watch. The master... well, he's not sure about this moving early business. Wants us Generals to keep an eye on his progeny."

Progeny? Mercury thought. Generals? Someone was building a new army. Well, that much had been obvious... but this was the first time it had been officially mentioned by any of the monsters. Mercury filed that away, and started her visor running through diagnostics on the energy output of the Dark Kingdom soldiers.

Sailor Moon stepped forward, hand raised, to make a speech, but Keitaro waved it off. "Please. I think we can dispense with the pleasantries. I know who you are, what you're going to try to do. Let's just get down to it?"

Sailor Moon looked nervously at the other senshi, but then turned back and nodded. "Okay. Uh... Sailor Senshi - attack!"

SAILOR MOON SAYS:

Gah. This one would not write itself until today. Sorry about that ^^;;

Anyway, next chapter: the next fight. Be here... or... uh, yeah. :) See you then :)


	16. Truth - Chapter 15

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff. Existing characters are properties of the people who made them up. Mitsuki, and several other characters are mine, and so's the story, hence ownership and copyright of them belongs to me. Contact me at domino@linksnet.nu if you want permission to use anything I've written for whatnot purposes.

NOTE: Once more, I've forgotten to put a title in for a chapter... the title for chapter 14 is "Beginnings".

TRUTH

by

Raymond Cooper

Chapter 15

** Spaced Invaders **

Sailor Moon looked from Keitaro to the girl behind them... Keitaro had called her Natsumi? Two monsters at once? Would they be capable of -

But they had to be. That was it. There was no other choice for the senshi.

Off to one side, Ranko fought against one of Keitaro's former friends... an ex girlfriend, Sailor Moon understood. Her freakish but natural super strength and endurance meant that the blows Ranko rained upon her were having little effect. Considering Ranko had helped turn the tide against the other monsters... she'd be needed, no matter if Sailor Moon didn't want to admit it.

Keitaro moved lazily around the front of the refectory's main counter, stalking back and forth. Natsumi raised an eyebrow as she studied him. He didn't seem powerful enough to deal with all the senshi yet... but then, the other progeny of the master's... well, they had matured fast as well. She flipped her VR headset up onto the top of her head, revealing glowing red eyes, and leaned up against the door frame to watch. "Go to it, young one," she said.

Mercury didn't give him a chance to go on the offensive. The senshi had determined a few things in private after their last few fights with these new, strong monsters, and one of the things decided had been simple: no speeches, not niceties, just get in early and don't let up. It seemed to be Ranko's major success with them. She raised her hands. "Mercury aqua illusion!" Water sprayed from her fingertips, coalescing into a ball around Keitaro before it exploded. She wanted to save Keitaro... but with the power her visor had read previously... and experience with the other recent monsters... she knew this would likely only slow him a little at this stage of the battle.

Keitaro staggered back a few steps, bending low at the waist, gasping in pain. Then he looked up, angry. "Bitch! I will kill you for that! I will rip out your entrails and use them to hang your friends! I -"

Jupiter stepped forward. "Not to my friends, you won't. Sparkling wide pressure!" Lightning crackled out at Keitaro, knocking him back further. Venus stepped up, as did Mars, while Saturn kept an eye on their rear.

"Venus love and beauty shock!"

"Mars flame sniper!"

More bursts of semi-magical energies coruscated down Keitaro's form. His clothes started burning, and he fell to the ground. Sailor Moon stepped up. "In the name of the moon, I will save you!" Personal, Ranma noted distantly, as if this Keitaro had done something to this woman herself... or to a close friend of hers. He continued to fight Narusegawa, though, while Sailor Moon made her move. She called up her moon staff, and pointed it at Keitaro. "Rainbow moon heart attack!" A huge heart generated from the end of her moon staff, and crossed the space between her and the monster in under a second. Raw energies washed around his form, blurring it, his body darkening and fading... but he growled, tensed his arms and shoulders, and the energy exploded out of him.

Keitaro was smoking, parts of his flesh charred and twisted, half-melted. But hate glared from his eyes, one of them popping and melting down his face even as the senshi watched. Mercury unconsciously raised a hand to her mouth in horror, and even the others took a step back. The monster glared. "Is that the best you can do?" he puffed.

"It's seeming to be enough to take you down, monster!" Sailor Moon declared. Her stance was more aggressive than usual. The other senshi gathered themselves quickly and moved into flanking positions, in similar stances. Nemesis and Saturn continued watching the rear, making sure Natsumi didn'r close in any closer. She merely continued to lean up against the door frame.

Keitaro chuckled, forcing a step forward. He grimaced, and slammed his eyelids shut in concentration. Flesh melted back into its proper place, colouring back to its normal tones. His burnt hair poked out further, and he stood up straight, twisted his neck around with a crack to stretch his spine. The senshi grew nervous, and launched another salvo of attacks. This time, Keitaro knew what to expect, and reflected and deflected them with his forearms and a savage grin.

Seeing magical attacks were having no effect, Mars leapt in, and tried a kick to his chin. Keitaro's head snapped backwards, and he staggered back. Emboldened, Mars spun another kick to his cheek, before snapping out with her hands. A pole of fire looking remarkably similar to a bokken lanced from her fingertips, and she slashed, burning holes through his defences and flesh.

Keitaro screamed.

"His energy level is weakening! We might be able to save him!" Mercury called out, studying the data flowing up on her visor.

Behind the senshi, Natsumi stirred. Her smirk slipped from her face as she pushed off from the wall. "You might need some help here, Keitaro. Well, that's what I'm here for." Natsumi raised her hands to her VR headset, and faced the senshi. Saturn and Nemesis hesitated - neither knew what this one would try. "Virtual world transportation!"

"Jump!" Nemesis yelled a scant instant before Saturn, but the warning was too late for the senshi. Searing white light burnt into them, blurring then pixelating their frames. With a weird digital sound effect, they disappeared. Natsumi dropped her hands, and moved back to the door way.

Saturn and Nemesis gaped. "What... what did you...?"

"They're still alive!" Ranma called from his fight. "Can't you feel them?"

Saturn hesitated, but Nemesis nodded. "I can feel them still. Faint, distant." She paused. "They're in a pocket dimension."

Ranma shook his head, avoiding a punch and two kicks from Narusegawa. "I don't know about that. But they're okay. For now."

******

In the arcade on the other side of the new home prefecture, Ryogi and Hiroshi were taking another day off school. The third that week. No one was terribly concerned by their absences. No one bar the arcade manager. He'd gotten a new game in... a role-playing game. Where players took on the roles of monsters, designed to stop a horde of rampaging heroes from sacking a cave system.

"I'm taking a minotaur," Hiroshi announced to no one in particular. He was hoping several of the girls in the small crowd beginning to surround them would take note of the manly creature he would be playing as first up.

Ryogi smirked. "Nice try at compensation," he muttered just loud enough. One of the girls shifted her attention to him when she saw him wiggle the joystick a little and lightly tap several buttons in a complicated dance to pick his beast.

"Ooo... here we go," she breathed as the title screen came up. CAVE DEFENDERS! it pronouced to all watching. Five women in shiny white sailor fukus flashed up at the screen and passed by. A loud ooooo from the boys in the crowd.

Then the screen darkened, and the game brought up the first scene. The five women in fukus appeared again, and text began to scroll up in boxes at the bottom of the monitor.

******

"Where the heck are we?" Sailor Moon asked, looking around the dank but surprisingly large cave they found themselves in. Behind them, there appeared to be a hole to the outside. Mars took two steps towards it, but instead of walking through, just bounced off something that wasn't there.

"This is weird... it's flat," Mars said, picking herself up from the ground.

"What do you mean?" Mercury asked.

"I mean flat," Mars continued. "That's not the outside there. It's a flat image."

Mercury looked confused, then a little suspicious. She brought her visor down and began scanning the local area. "I've got a bad feeling about this..."

"You and me both," Jupiter remarked, backing up to protect Mercury against anything that came from deeper in the caves.

Sailor Moon pulled herself together, and started walking further into the cave. "Let's just find out what that monster did to us, then get back to the fight." She walked straight into a barrier that couldn't be seen and fell over, rolling backwards with the force of it.

******

"Woo! Panty shot!"

"Check out those polygons," someone else added. "Someone was paying attention in biology."

"Reproductive science, don't you mean?" a female voice asked.

"Nah, sex ed we weren't looking at naked women."

Hiroshi frowned. The people behind him were distracting his attention... when to attack? A new text box appeared, and he read it.

SAILOR MOON: Ouch! What the hell was that? A magical barrier?

SAILOR MERCURY: No... the information I'm getting suggests it's a digital barrier.

******

Something roared from above the girls. "What's that?" Venus asked, moving towards Mars and Sailor Moon. No one responded.

But a giant naked - and very masculine - minotaur dropped from the darkened cavetop, smashing his feet into the ground, causing a small earth tremour as he did so. Small rocks fell from the roof, and the senshi fell over. It stood, fully four metres in height, then started stomping towards the senshi.

Sailor Mars recovered first. "Fire soul!" Fire leaped at the beast, and scorched something about the height of her head. Mars blushed, then leapt in again to deliver a pair of spinning kicks. Both scored hits, and the monster was knocked backwards, falling to the floor.

Sailor Moon stood back. "Let's let Mars take this one."

Mercury gasped. "This monster... it's all digital information!"

"A digital monster?" Jupiter asked.

"A digi-mon?" Sailor Moon asked. Venus clouted her around the back of the head without being asked.

Mercury continued. "There's no energy pattern, nothing disruptive, no dark energies, no negative energies... we're just in a digital world!"

Sailor Moon went to say something, but Venus hit her again. "So... we're on the internet?"

"No," Mercury shook her head. "Wherever we are, there's much less resources than on the internet. It's a small localised system... I'm surprised we can all fit inside the RAM of whatever system we're on."

******

"Wow," one girl breathed. "It's like The Sims, but they know they're inside the computer!"

"Eh," Hiroshi grunted, picking his minotaur up and charging the so-called Sailor Mars. Once upon her, he rotated the joystick from the down position to the up position, hammering buttons A, A, B, C, A and D.

******

Badly pixeltated flames burst from the hands of the minotaur, and he threw a flaming punch at Mars. Mars grabbed the hand, spun on it so she could clasp it between her legs, then bent backwards, flipping up to its shoulders. She wrapped her legs around his throat, grabbed his horns with her hands, then pulled backwards. The head tilted back, giving her legs better purchase around the throat, so she tightened them considerably. "How long until he suffocates, Mercury?"

"Blood-oxygen ratios aren't modeled in this game, Mars, you'll have to beat him through damage dealt to him directly!"

"Like by punching him?" Mercury nodded, and Mars flipped off his back, delivering another double kick as she dropped to the ground, landing lightly on her feet.

Mars then stood. "Fire soul bird!" A flaming phoenix wrapped the minotaur up in burning wings, causing it to jump backwards and fall to the ground again. Mars nodded; she could see the video game influence on this monster. "This could be bad. What happens if we die?"

Mercury shrugged. "I suppose our data is deleted. We die," she added for Sailor Moon.

******

"Kill you!" Narusegawa growled. "I hate you! Pervert! Idiot! Why can't you be nice to *me*?"

Ranma continued to dodge her rain of attacks. While he was no doubt stronger, and definitely faster, he wasn't trying to hurt this woman, and that was putting him in problems. While mind-controlled, she seemed to be fighting on with all her energy. There was no thought given to replenishing it, or resting to regain strength. It was being ripped from her body all over to supply her rant and rave and fighting spirit. He could feel her ki out of balance in her body, the hot running much more than the cold, the overbalance causing her body to begin feeding on itself. Maybe there was a chance... maybe. He could try the hiryuu shouten ha... he wouldn't even have to insult her to throw her balance to one side.

But there were dangers. This wasn't a case of the balance being maintained with her ki... her balance was shot. There was still the same amount of cold, but her hot was multiplying at an almost exponential rate.

Narusegawa threw another punch, and Ranma watched part of her life force disappear to power her next attack.

There was one other danger Ranma could think of. Hitting her while opposing her ki force could very likely severely injure her. But maybe... maybe he could adapt the dragon punch to another use...

She telegraphed her next move a heartbeat after her last, and Ranma prepared. He crossed his arms as the usual defensive block he'd been using against her, and as the punch came forward he brought it up, raising her arm upwards. He forced his cold ki into her via introducing his foot to her stomach. Her own balance was met by Ranma's forced unbalance of his own. In the next heartbeat, as the anger and fury left her eyes, and a heartbeat before the surprise came and unconsciousness took her, Ranma absorbed the rest of the excess hot and cold ki, returning her to normal levels. The women dropped onto him, limp and loose like a child's rag doll. Ranma caught her, and lowered her to the ground. Nice. A new attack. Something he might be able to use again.

But for now... he had an excess of power himself. He was forcing his body to reach a new balance, but he'd be a little off until he could lose this power he'd gained. How best to do that?

He caught sight of the senshi and the other two monsters now, and noticed that the five of the women who had disappeared had yet to reappear. He picked his way over to Saturn and Nemesis quickly, picking up a long straight metal pipe that had fallen from the ceiling with his toes before swinging it around a moment to check on the balance of it. It would do for now. He glanced sideways at Saturn. "The others not back yet?"

Saturn shook her head. "I'm worried, sempai. I can't feel them."

Nemesis grimaced. "I can. Mars is fighting." She glanced at Ranma. "Ranko...?"

Ranma shook his head. "Later. For now - we've got two monsters to take down." He considered several actions, paths to possible victories, and more often than not, outright failures.

Nemesis nodded, and moved to cover Ranma's back. "We'll go with your orders, sensei."

"That makes this easier." Ranma shook himself out of his combat stance, and turned to face Natsumi. She smirked at him. He bowed, deeply from the waist. "Natsumi Otohime, I believe? I have a question to ask you." Natsumi nodded, and gestured for Ranma to continue. "I'm not sure... of your intentions. But I want my students to have an... honourable chance at winning. If I promise to refrain from their fight against your student, can you refrain from interfering with my students?"

Natsumi considered that, then nodded. "Yeah. We can do that. It'll make this more fun."

Ranma turned back to the senshi. "Um... Saturn... Nemesis... I've got faith in you two. Okay? Just remember what we trained. Keep at him. Don't let him get his power back. Nor his health. I don't want to be responsible for killing people, either... but unless we get that Sailor Moon back, am I right in assuming you guys can't heal him?" His eyes turned to Saturn, who blushed, and looked downwards.

"I'm not sure, sempai." She shrugged, nervously. "I can try..."

Ranma nodded, and stepped back. Natsumi just nodded as he took up a position across the doorway from her, taking the same pose as well. This woman, Ranko, seemed to be calm, confident in her students' abilities. She wasn't sure if this Ranko trained all the Sailor senshi, or just these two. But no matter. The five in the digital world would never return.

She nodded at Keitaro, and he started bunching his muscles, gathering his power for this fight. That Mercury bitch had been correct - Keitaro's power had dropped. But he'd managed to regain some in the time since the other girls had been transported out. Natsumi hoped it would be enough. This was, after all, a test case. The master had said so.

The two senshi took up poses. Nemesis took the pipe offered by her sensei, and spun it around several fingers, getting a feel for it. It appeared to satisfy her, and she turned to face Keitaro fully.

Keitaro growled, then powered up an aura of energy, using that to propel him towards the women in fukus.

******

Mars dealt a final double-punch to the monster's crotch, and it fell over, comically, holding itself with a very pained expression on its face. Then it bounced, once, twice, then lay still. A moment later, it faded away with a blue pixelated swirl.

Mars struck a heroic-looking pose, skirt flapping in a non-existant breeze, feet slightly more than shoulder-width apart, one hand on her hips, the other forward with her fingers in a V-shape.

"Ooooh-kay," Sailor Moon said. "So... why did you do that?"

"Victory pose. If we're in a video game, *someone's* got to be watching us."

"Oh," Sailor Moon said, after a moment. Then, very conscienciously, pressed the hem of her skirt down further.

******

"Nice," one of the girls said. "She's modest."

Hiroshi stepped back from the joystick. "Your turn, Ryogi, old friend... let's see you try it now."

"Ha! With my monster, I will utterly crush these women!" Ryogi struck a pose. His single female follower tapped him on the shoulder, and pointed at the screen.

"They're moving."

And so the senshi were. They were moving along slowly, carefully, but not carefully enough to avoid the next screen end. That klutzy Sailor Moon bounced back again, and there were appreciative whistles from several people. Including one girl.

"Shut up, Tomoyo," another girl hissed. The first giggled, and held up her video camera.

Ryogi took his position at the arcade machine's controls, then selected his character's entry button.

******

In the digital world, there was a scream from above, quickly rising in intensity and volume. The senshi stepped back, looking up and around, trying to find the source. And then, it dropped down.

Splat. Into the ground.

It groaned, and picked itself up, dusting itself off. Then it looked at the senshi, raised its arms, and growled.

The senshi stared with wide-open eyes. "What-what are you?" Mercury asked, a hand partially covering her mouth.

"I am Kerberos! The beast of the seal!" the tiny yellow teddy bear squeaked. "And in the name of Clow Reed, I will punish you!"

SAILOR MOON SAYS:

Okay, this end came from nowhere much. Originally, the last monster in the game was going to be Cerberos, the 3-headed dog. But... how scary was that? This isn't quite the cute'n'cuddly Kero-chan any Sakura fans might recognise, though. Keep reading :)

Next time: Kero-chan! Kero-chan! How can we think of anything else? And the first test of Ranma's training, as two senshi try to use that to their advantage with minimal use of their magical power.


	17. Truth - Chapter 16

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff. Existing characters are properties of the people who made them up. Mitsuki, and several other characters are mine, and so's the story, hence ownership and copyright of them belongs to me. Contact me at domino@linksnet.nu if you want permission to use anything I've written for whatnot purposes.

TRUTH

by

Raymond Cooper

Chapter 16

** Hyperactive **

"I am Kerberos! The beast of the seal!" the tiny yellow teddy bear squeaked. "And in the name of Clow Reed, I will punish you!"

Usagi stared. Mercury couldn't hold it in any longer and started giggling. The other senshi followed suit.

******

"Really, Ryogi," Hiroshi complained. "Do you *have* to play as secret characters every game you play?"

Tomoyo blinked. "Hey, this is getting too coincidental."

"Eh, Sakura things are everywhere these days," her friend muttered. "Damn Clamp."

******

Kero-chan began to float in the air, waving his arms around like a Karate Kid reject. "You won't laugh at the power of Kerberos when I am through with you!" he squeaked some more.

Sailor Moon stepped forward. "I think I can take this stuffed animal." She posed herself. "I am Sailor Moon, guardian eternal of the Moon Kingdom and protector of the innocent and Crystal Tokyo! In the name of those you would harm, monster, I will punish you!" She pointed at Kerberos. Kerberos stared back.

Then he zipped towards her. "Kero rapid fire bounce attack!" He bounced off Sailor Moon's nose with the speed of a fast bird, rocketed into a wall, into the back of her head, then into another wall, cannoning back into Sailor Moon's legs, tripping her up. She fell down on him, trapping him under her chest.

******

Some of the boys in the crowd ooohed at that as the scene's camera zoomed in to the mighty Seal Beast, Kerberos, struggling valiently to remove himself from Sailor Moon's cleavage. Tomoyo zoomed her camera in. "Don't try too hard," she muttered to Ryogi, who gave her a weird look. She caught it, and glanced back. "What? Those are some very lovely interactions of polygons, don't you think? I'd love to see the routines the programmers used to deform their meshes like that in such small interactions."

Ryogi just stared, then went back to hammering buttons.

******

Keitaro sped towards the two senshi standing in the remains of the refectory with him, a power aura blasting out around his body. His face was twisted into a snarl, ready to attack anyone who dared confront him. Saturn flicked her eyes to Nemesis - he's mine! - and stepped out in front of him, waving her Silence Glaive before her. She smiled a challenge.

The monster rammed into her, and they smashed out through the wall behind them, and hit the ground. The wind was knocked out of Saturn, but she'd had worse knocks from Ranma in training. She gritted her teeth, and got to her feet, dragging her glaive up with her. Once upright, she twirled it around into a ready position. Keitaro took up a position half a dozen metres from her, and began circling. A big mistake.

One thing Ranma had taught her was not to remain predictable, not to play the game designated by the opponant. Which meant not circling. Keitaro frowned, but as soon as Saturn had the breath to, she launched herself at the monster with a foot outstretched in a kick, glaive held behind for balance. The monster was caught by surprise; the kick threw him back a couple of metres. But his feet dug into the ground, and halted him from going any further. He growled, just in time to have the glaive whip around and catch him across the chest, slicing his shirt wide open, and part of his skin. Beneath the flesh was a layer of blackness. Saturn gasped.

Keitaro snarled. "Bitch!" And threw three rapid punches. They all hit while Saturn was in shock, one on the cheek, another on a shoulder, the third in her ribs. She sagged at the knees, but determined to return as good as she got - her sensei - dammit, her sempai! - was watching! She would *not* fail him. She would not fail in *front* of him.

Reverse spinning side thrust combined with a snap-kick to the jaw, a sweep with the glaive, and half a dozen super-strength punches. All impacted with Keitaro's body, but Saturn was still weakened. Keitaro was injured as well... but stronger than her at the moment, in terms of physical attacks. Apart from that aura that seemed to be partially protecting his body, there wasn't a lot he seemed to be able to project in terms of energy attacks.

He stared at her while Saturn gathered herself for her next attack. "Don't you feel tired? Weakened? Like you can barely go on?"

She felt something in her head telling her, yes, too tired, too weak. She couldn't continue. But Saturn knew Ranma was watching. She had to give it her best. The voice in her head was very insistant - was this Keitaro's attack? It would make sense, perhaps, with what that woman had been doing when they'd arrived. Narusegawa? Yeah. But the voice was very insistant. She tried to punch, but found her moves slower than normal. Keitaro basically stepped to one side, and delivered a chopping blow to her neck. Saturn went down like a sack of bricks.

And stayed down.

The Keitaro monster smirked.

Then Nemesis stepped forward. "My turn."

******

Kero-chan worked his way free, and floated up high again. Sailor Moon stood up, rubbing the bite mark on her chest with one hand while frowning up at the stuffed animal.

"That hurt! I'll get you for that!" She whipped out her crescent moon wand, and levelled it at Kerberos. "Cosmic moon power!" A bright blast of light shot at the yellow animal, and before it could even wipe the self-satisfied smirk from its face, it was thrown backwards into the cavern wall behind it, and fell to the ground.

******

"Damn," Ryogi muttered, watching his health meter drop. "Oh well. Time for phase two." He wiggled the joystick and pressed several buttons in order.

On the screen, the tiny yellow pixels of Kerberos, the beast of the seal, began to enlarge...

******

Kero-chan rose off the ground again, swelling outwards into a larger creature. His forepaws grew wicked claws, as did his hind paws, his wings enlarged, and his face distended downwards into a long crocodile-like snout by way of a wolf's. "Kerberos power up attack!" he announced in a loud, gravelly voice, before stomping towards Sailor Moon.

"Uh oh," Sailor Moon conceeded.

******

Nemesis whirled her pipe around her head like a staff, waiting. She watched Keitaro carefully, had been observing him like her father had taught her when she was young and in training. She'd identified nearly eight weaknesses and even more openings he had in physical combat - not that she'd expected Saturn to notice them all. She expected Ranma - that girl *had* to be Ranma - had spotted more.

More than that, she knew how Keitaro had defeated Saturn. And Nemesis knew she wasn't susceptible to other people's voices in her head.

She waited, standing in a loose ready stance, hands out slightly from her body now, pipe in her left hand, ready to be used. Legs slightly apart. Body straight, but not stiff. Just waiting. She knew the attack would come.

And Nemesis wasn't disappointed. Keitaro made the first move, taking a few steps forward, then powering towards her with a leg flying high in the air, ready to bring a kick down on the back of her head. She lifted her left hand, brought the pipe around to block the downward swing of the kick, then followed through with a kick of her own with her longer legs - right into Keitaro's crotch. His eyes blazed red behind his glasses at that, and he jumped back two steps, already growling and bringing his arms up for his next attack. He went down on his hands in a handstand, wrapped his legs around Nemesis' neck, and swung her up and over. But she twisted her own body, planted her legs on the ground and firmly attached herself there with her own personal high gravity field, before straightening her body and continuing through to bend over backwards, slamming Keitaro face-first into the ground. He sank in a small distance. Nemesis flipped over to stand upright on the other side of him, quickly turning to face him once again as he began to stand.

Keitaro growled again. He seemed to be losing the power of speech, it seemed. But Nemesis knew he was just getting very angry. And hurt. She could feel the subtle flow of energies that wrapped his body up, much as Ranma could, only not as well. It was something that her early martial arts training had taught her... an extension of the act of observing an opponant closely. By closing one's eyes, and using all one's combat senses, it was possible, once highly trained, to detect the combat ability, the very life force, of a person. It wasn't something that Nemesis was capable of doing well, but the recent training was reawakening that very ability. She could feel that Keitaro was weakening.

Behind her, she could also feel her sensei's measured gaze.

She would not let him down.

"Come on, little boy," she beckoned. "You want to play rough with a big woman?"

Keitaro snarled and leapt at her. She slammed a fist straight into his nose, and he staggered back a few steps, black ichor spurting from a nostril. "Bitch! You'll pay for this!"

"How ya gonna make me?" Nemesis grinned, and lowered herself down, ready for his next attack.

The monster's eyes narrowed, and he began growling under his breath. 

At that moment, Nemesis heard a voice in her head. "My backside is too big... I'm too old to fight effectively. I can't keep this up... I'm getting tired. So tired... so big... so slow... so ugly..."

Nemesis stopped for a moment, a worried look on her face. She drew herself up out of her combat stance for a scant second, nervous, looking around, scared. Keitaro made his move then, snapping forward with a punch that carried most of his remaining power behind it. It sped for Nemesis' jaw... and was intercepted by her right forearm.

She turned to look down on the smaller teenager. "Please. Do you *really* think I don't know how to ignore the voices?" Then, while Keitaro gaped, she increased her gravity force in her fist, and slammed it into his face. She felt bone crack under her clenched fingers, the black ichor again splashing out and coating the ground. Keitaro staggered backwards, and fell over, fingers twitching.

Nemesis stood above him, breathing deeply, regaining her composure. She cocked her head to one side, then the other, eyes darting about. No. No, that's good. Then she stepped back, and slumped a little before moving to Saturn's side. "Saturn?" she asked, quietly. "Saturn? Wake up. You've got... you've got to help him."

Saturn stirred. "Sempai...?" Her eyes focussed, and she saw Nemesis gazing down on her, looking very nervous and worried behind her facade. She sat up. "What happened...?"

"I beat him, Saturn. But... I hurt him. A lot. You need to heal him."

The younger senshi looked over at the monster lying on the ground, face a crushed mess. Then she crawled over to his side, helped by Nemesis. She looked at him, ran her hands over his form, then shook her head. "Unless Sailor Moon or Mercury can do something quickly... to transform him back from being a monster... I can't help him. I'll just heal the monster him." She paused. "They'd better hurry. He's dying."

******

The mighty Kerberos snarled at Sailor Moon in the cave, but Sailor Moon stood her ground. "I beat you once, you stuffed toy, I can beat you again." Under her breath, to Mercury, she added, "Right?"

Mercury nodded. "His health level has dropped dramatically. In this model, he has more powerful attacks, though. I wouldn't let him -"

Seeing Kerberos about to jump at her, with claws extended from his paws and teeth barred, Sailor Moon whipped up the crescent moon wand again. "Cosmic Moon power!"

Again, the searing beam of energy shot from the tip of the wand, enveloping the beast. It howled, once, before vanishing. Sailor Moon lowered the wand.

******

SAILOR MOON: Well, that was easy enough.

SAILOR MERCURY: The game seems to be finished. I assume we'll be let out of this pocket dimension now.

SAILOR MOON: You don't k-

On the screen, the five senshi vanished. The people surrounding the Cave Defenders! arcade machine stared as the screen showed the words, GAME OVER. There was a collective sigh. Ryogi was still poised over the joystick and buttons, as if waiting for his next attack. Tomoyo patted him on the sholder. "That's all right, Ryogi. Sakura... well, take care of him," she said to her friend, video taping Hiroshi now.

Tomoyo's friend glared at her, and led Ryogi away from the machine, unresisting. "Come on, Ryogi, wanna beat me in Tokyo Wars?"

******

The senshi appeared just behind Sailors Saturn and Nemesis, outside the main refectory building at Tokyo University. They blinked in the bright sunlight, then looked around, seeing Saturn on the ground next to a heavily facialy-mangled Keitaro, and Nemesis next to her, looking worried and concerned. Nemesis looked back. "Oh good, you're here. Sailor Moon," she waved at Keitaro. "Do your healing thingee."

Sailor Moon blinked, blankly.

"You know, moon healing magical twist of lemon powers unite, or something."

"Oh." Sailor Moon considered saying what Nemesis had suggested, as a poke, but realised the situation was a little more urgently than a joke was. She twirled the crescent wand around, then spun it in a circle. "Moon healing activation!" Warm, healing energies ran unfettered through Keitaro's body, repairing the damage done, and returning him to the form of a normal human male. He opened his eyes a moment later, slowly, and raised a hand to his head.

"I've got a headache," he announced to no one in particular.

The senshi turned to see Ranma, still in his female form, leaning on the refectory doorframe, waiting for Natsumi to make a move.

The other monster shrugged. "He was merely a test subject. We've got to tell our spawn to hide until they're stronger. That's for certain." She looked at Ranma. "I wouldn't think of trying to take me on, if I were you. You're not strong enough. You can't evade my attacks."

"We can survive them easily enough!" Sailor Moon interjected hotly.

Natsumi smirked. "Don't make that sound like so much of a challenge, weak one. I'll see you all again." She wandered off slowly.

Keitaro sat up, looking after the girl as she departed. "Natsumi?" The girl heard his voice, and turned back.

"Yes, Keitaro-kun?"

"What... what do I tell Mutsumi?"

Natsumi's face fell. "Tell my older sister... tell her she would have been proud." And she left Keitaro to ponder that one in confusion. Ranma and the senshi decided maybe then was a good time to make themselves scarce as well. Ami returned a few minutes later, concerned for her friend.

******

Ranma sat with Hotaru at a train station. "Are you sure you've got to go back to school for now? You took a couple of good hits, Hotaru-chan."

Hotaru smiled at Ranma, who was now back in his male body and clothes. "Yes, sempai. I've got some things to clear up this afternoon before I can come home for the night." Her train arrived, and Hotaru entered it, smiling back at Ranma. "I'll see you tonight, sempai." The doors shut, and she headed off, back to school. Ranma didn't think it weird at all that the train went to Nerima, and no where else, mostly because he didn't check to see where it went. He headed home, to get some repairs done in one of the rear rooms at the dorm.

******

Mitsuki stood in her room, staring down into one of her drawers. She stood there for a few minutes. But, upon hearing voices from outside, Mitsuki quickly bent down, uncapped a bottle and extracted a pill. She recapped the bottle, closed the drawer, and swallowed the pill. All would be good. Soon. Yeah. Soon.

******

At Furinken, Hotaru watched Nabiki talk quietly to a young man in traditional kendo garb. Hmm. He had a slightly crazed look in his eyes. Could this be that Kuno Ranma had talked about? When Nabiki stopped talking, the man threw his head back and laughed maniacally, shouted something about that sorceror Saotome and how he had enslaved more girlfriends of the Blue Thunder, and laughed some more. Nabiki scurried off. And Hotaru now saw this as her first chance for some games of her own.

She walked up to Kuno once Nabiki was out of sight.

SAILOR MOON SAYS:

A slightly short chapter this time, but I think it works well. Mostly :)

Next time: The conversation. The effect. And the first of the next generation Nerima crew turn up.


	18. Truth - Chapter 17

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff. Existing characters are properties of the people who made them up. Mitsuki, and several other characters are mine, and so's the story, hence ownership and copyright of them belongs to me. Contact me at domino@linksnet.nu if you want permission to use anything I've written for whatnot purposes.

TRUTH

by

Raymond Cooper

Chapter 17

** Deliberations **

"Kuno-sempai?"

The Blue Thunder of Furinken High School turned around. The reasons he was still at Furinken after all these years... well, the reasons were different to Nabiki Tendo's, but just as valid. He saw a small girl heading towards him, dressed in a typical Furinken uniform, with dark, almost purple, hair. Her skin was almost alabaster, and had Kuno gone for that kind of thing, he would have admitted to being in love with this young beauty...

But Tatewaki Kuno wasn't into girls this much younger than himself, so he merely allowed a surge of lust to wash over him, and waited for the girl to catch up.

Eventually, she did, looking a little exhausted. She seemed to be weaker than most girls her age, he noted with a careful eye, and so waited patiently, although imperiously. Once she had recovered enough, he struck a typical pose, chest out, chin up. "And to what pleasure does the Blue Thunder find himself wondering from this young vixen?"

The girl cocked an eyebrow, but chose not to respond to that. "My name is Hotaru Tomoe. I know one of your old friends?"

"Yes? Who might this former compatriot of mine be?"

"His name is Ranma Saotome -"

"Oho!" Kuno pulled his bokken from its scabbard. "And where might that evil sorceror be this moment in time? For I owe him dearly for breaking the heart of my beloved Akane Tendo and the perpetual enslavement of the Pig-Tailed Girl! Oh, how I -"

Hotaru reached up and placed a finger on Kuno's lips. "Shush. He didn't break Akane's heart... she broke his."

"I find that hard to believe! For Ranma Saotome is an evil sor-"

"Yes, you said that already."

"But it is true! I, the Blue Thunder of-"

"Shush." Hotaru glared up at the older upper classman, wondering why she didn't check the mental stability of the people Nabiki would be manipulating first. Obviously, this Tatewaki Kuno would be of no real use to her in her plans, which were still taking shape. But maybe... maybe there was another way around Kuno's head. "You think Ranma Saotome is an evil sorceror? Ranma Saotome is not. But Nabiki Tendo is."

"True, the wench middle Tendo sister is evil of heart, but she is not an evil sorceror."

Hotaru cocked her head to one side. "But she's got you thinking Ranma hurt Akane's heart, when the opposite is clearly true. Why do you think he left Nerima?"

"He was afraid to face me in mortal combat!"

"No, Akane was wanting to turn to you, to your manly... chest and... charms... but could not for fear of impinging on her honour. So he broke off relations with her so she could act on those feelings." Hotaru was mostly making this up, seeing as Kuno appeared to be halfway into his own personal world, but appeared to be hitting the mark. Almost.

"But he is still an evil sorceror... I have seen him release the Pig-Tailed Goddess from within his body through magical means!" Kuno ranted. "She is being held -"

Hotaru interjected. "She is being held prisoner at my behest, seeing as she broke laws that demanded she live trapped in a masculine body."

"Your -" Kuno's eyes narrowed. "I think you are trying to fool me, Miss Tomoe."

Hotaru shook her head. She looked around, making sure no one else was within sight, and pulled out a small makeup compact, holding it up in the air. "Saturn planet power make-up!" She transformed into her senshi form in front of Kuno's startled eyes. "Tatewaki Kuno, I am -"

But she was talking to a stream of blood, momentarily held above the ground as Kuno keeled over backwards with a fountain of blood streaming from his nostrils.

******

When he came to, he was on the roof of the main school building, a beautiful woman standing above him. He recognised the girl who had been speaking to him earlier was this woman... but she looked so different, so in charge, so... not weak. And the power emanating from her body... was awesome. It was taking all Kuno's will power to keep his eyes up at hers, so strong was the attraction.

"Tatewaki Kuno, I am the goddess Saturn, ruler of the Solar System under the Moon Princess. My power is like nothing you've ever seen before, nor even imagined. I need loyal troops beneath me. Ranma Saotome is one such troop of mine. He has selflessly devoted his life to the incarceration of a violent criminal." Saturn paused. "Can I count on you to not act against him?"

Kuno's eyes never left Saturn's, and he nodded, most seriously. "My lady, my life, my honour, my wealth - anything I have - is yours."

"Good." Saturn smiled, and stood up. Kuno continued to gape, and she dropped her transformed form. "Now, the school day is over. I suggest you go... train with the school kendo club or something. I have things I must prepare for the sorceress, Nabiki Tendo."

"Aye, my lady." Kuno knealt before Hotaru, then left via dropping over the side of the building. She heard the snapping of branches, then footsteps hurrying away from the building.

One down, Hotaru thought to herself with a smile, then took her own leave, heading back to the Ai Sou.

******

Ranma wandered through the front lounge of the dorm on his way to the kitchen. Mitsuki was sitting on one of the couches, watching dubbed Teletubbies with a smile on her face. She looked up at Ranma as he wandered through, smiled almost Kasumi-like at him, then went back to her riveting television viewing.

Ranma raised an eyebrow and kept walking.

He found Makoto in the kitchen. "Dinner won't be too long," she said. "I'm waiting for it to cook through properly. And for Hotaru to arrive back from school. Do you know where she is?"

"She said she had to take care of something," Ranma noted as he got himself a glass of water. Mmm... refreshing. He noticed Makoto was still looking at him. "What? She said it was important."

"Oh." Makoto tore her gaze from him, and went back to preparing some side dishes for dinner. She worked at that a while as Ranma had another glass of water, then turned to him. "Ranma?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you mind if I joined your training group in the mornings?" Makoto asked. "It's been a while since I was training in anything."

"You've got some experience, then?"

"A little bit of judo," Makoto admitted. "And some things I've picked up from watching Rei."

"Anyone's welcome to join in... so long as they're serious about committment and working. It requires concentration and effort... not everyone can do that on a regular basis."

Makoto nodded. "I can do that. Look at the kitchen. All the time." She gestured around. Ranma knew she was referring to the fact she cooked all the meals, had them ready on time, and knew just how much in leftovers would be needed for snacks or lunches for the next day.

He nodded to her. "As I said, anyone's welcome to join. We start at dawn, every morning. Work out for anywhere between half an hour to an hour, depending on when people have to leave." He shrugged. "And I can give after-class training most days if you've got an empty lecture period or something. But I do expect some form of committment."

Makoto nodded again. "I would expect nothing less, Ranma."

"So we'll all see you bright and early tomorrow morning?"

"Yes."

Ranma nodded, smiled, and left the kitchen, where Mitsuki was still watching Teletubbies, but pacing back and forth in front of the television now. "Mitsuki?" he said, "Calm down a bit, eh? They're not going anywhere."

She looked at Ranma. "How do you know that for sure?" And went back to her pacing.

Ranma stared. Then walked back outside to finish off his daily training with another hour of working out.

******

Ami sat on her bed, talking to Keitaro via IRC. He seemed to be okay, but was really spaced out, as if he'd been on some kind of tranquilizers. He appeared to have no memory of what had happened since he took Natsumi Otohime, a friend's younger sister, out to get ice cream. He had apologised to Mutsumi, the older sister, for Natsumi... but he could not remember why.

He'd had a strange dream about waking up around a lot of scantily-clad women who didn't try to beat him up.

Weird. But at least now they had saved one monster. Now, perhaps, they could try to save others.

Mercurial You're okay, then?

Kanrinin I think so. I've got a nasty bump on the head, though... I think Narusegawa, uh, did something.

Mercurial Is she okay?

Kanrinin She's giving me weird looks. Like right now. Over the library walls. Like she's keeping away from me. She won't tell me where she got her hand smashed, though.

Mercurial I'm glad that things seem well.

Ami leaned back from her laptop. So things were mostly back to normal for him. That was good. A program running in the background beeped, and she called it forward. Hmm. The energy signature patterns from the monster suggested a nearly mature individual. It had taken a lot to slow him down, and Ami suspected that only the fact that he had been expending great amounts of energy before the senshi turned up had allowed even that without killing him.

But her laptop was now running through a myriad of algorithms, all trying to find a method of safely returning one of these new monsters to human form. Thus far, every attempt had failed.

That wasn't good.

And Ami felt guilty that up until Keitaro had been... infected... they hadn't tried to save a single person's life. They had waded in and killed them. She suspected that she wasn't the only person feeling guilty about this - and who knew what that Ranko thought? - but none had spoken of it. Perhaps now they would. Ami knew she would gain some of the blame for these feelings - she had been the one to first suggest attempting to save them because of her friend, after all.

Kanrinin Are you all right, Ami?

* Kanrinin is worried - you seem weird.

Mercurial I'm fine. Thanks for asking. Just... thinking.

Kanrinin Oh. Want to have lunch tomorrow?

Mercurial Why not?

******

Hotaru entered the lounge later. It was dark outside, and she looked and felt exhausted. She still wasn't fit or strong enough in her normal body to climb all those stairs... and she hadn't been able to call Ranma when she'd arrived. She didn't want him knowing she was back so late. But then, there were still monsters around, and one in particular that was prowling around where most of Ranma's charges went to university... she could have followed any of them home. Or attacked any of them away from the dorm. Hence, she expected Ranma to be worried.

She found him resting on one of the big couches with Mitsuki beside him, watching some anime show where skimpily-clad women bounced around and fought silly giant monsters that sucked the life energy out of people. Pure tripe, but Ranma, Hotaru had noticed, kind of liked watching these shows. She nodded to him when he noticed her, and he nodded back. He seemed to not be worried at all, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes as he dropped them back to the screen, and a slight loosening of his shoulders. She patted one of them as she walked past to her room.

Hotaru slid her door shut behind her, and crashed down on her bed, exhausted. There was a tapp at the door a moment later, and she called out for the person outside to enter. The door slid open again, then shut as Makoto stepped in with a glass of water. "Here," she said, "I thought you might like this." She had a jug of water in her other hand.

The younger girl took the glass, and gulped it down gratefully. "Thank you, Makoto."

"So, was it worth being late?"

"Hmm?"

"Whatever you had to do at school. Was it worth being late for dinner?"

"Yes." Hotaru gathered herself, and looked up at Makoto. The older woman sat down and refilled the glass. "You know how I feel about Ranma."

"Everyone does," Makoto remarked.

"Yes, well... you remember Nabiki Tendo?"

"Akane's older sister?" Makoto narrowed her eyes as she remembered the woman who'd come to threaten Ranma into re-engaging himself to Akane, his former fiance. "Yes. I remember her."

Hotaru pulled a face. "How could any of us forget? But she's not a very nice person. Ranma told me a little about her... so I got myself into Furinken High School - where she still attends. She's trying to stir up a frenzy against Ranma there by letting slip some information, tailored to get a bad response from people who know Ranma."

"Really? She's making trouble?" Makoto paused, and looked distant. "That'll end up hitting us, won't it?"

Hotaru nodded, her eyes serious. "Very possibly. I'm trying to head it off, and also trying to get us some help in the Nerima end. Maybe we can stop this from getting to us - and our manager - before it leaves that ward."

"Does Ranma know?"

"He seems to be waiting. Almost like he's done this before. And that's what worries me." Hotaru drew herself up, and took another sip from the glass, looking worried. She felt worried, and that was in turn worrying Makoto a little. Saturn was the strongest of the senshi, in terms of physical strength and emotional distance. Ranma had, however, created a weakness in her by breaking through those emotional barriers with ease he apparently hadn't yet noticed or recognised, and that was another cause of concern for the senshi. "If that was what his previous life was like... no wonder he had all those problems relating with us and others. And if it starts happening again..."

"You think he'll revert to that person again," Makoto finished. Hotaru nodded. "So you're interfering in his life to try and maintain what you've got."

"What? No! I want him to keep growing!" Hotaru realised that sounded lame, even to herself. She shook her head. "I... I like him, a lot, Makoto. He's grown so much, even in the last month. I'm... I don't want to see him have any more problems than he already has. I don't want to see him get distracted, get sucked back into a life he's purposely left behind. He once told me, don't rely on others. To a point, he's right. You've got to be able to stand on your own two feet. But," and she held a finger up to emphasize. "But, you also have to be able to rely on others to help you sometimes. Occasionally, you need other people to lean on when the going gets hard. Sometimes... you need other people to care. And these people in Nerima... they don't."

"How do you know that for certain?"

"Easy." Hotaru narrowed her eyes, her face hardening. More the Saturn Makoto remembered. "I've watched them. They live their little lives, stepping in and out of each other's worlds, not trying to help, only trying to hinder, to trip the others up. All of them are petty. None of them see anything beyond their noses."

"Like Ranma was?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to help them?"

"No."

"So -"

"I want to help Ranma."

Makoto nodded. "That's a good reason to be poking around like this. But you do realise... he won't take kindly to you interfering in his affairs."

"If it reaches here, I'll step out. Ranma can handle it. I'm just trying... to give him a headstart for once, since he's not in the thick of it. So he's not caught off-guard."

Makoto nodded again, and took the glass from Hotaru's fingers. The younger girl resisted for a moment, then lay down on her bed, kicking her shoes off. "I can bring you something to eat if you want...?" Hotaru shook her head, and slithered out of her clothes quickly and into a pair of winter-styled pyjamas, before climbing back into bed.

"I think I'll just get an early night." Makoto stepped towards the door, opened it, then stepped out. "Makoto-chan?" She poked her head back in. "Thank you for caring." Makoto nodded, then stepped back out, sliding the door shut again.

******

Ranma looked up as Makoto headed into the kitchen. She was smiling faintly, for some unknown reason, but Ranma didn't concern himself with that. Mitsuki was acting a little weird. But at least, by now, she'd calmed down. They were watching Super Spinning Monster Fighters O at the present, something that was occupying Mitsuki's time. Something about the bright colours, constant fan service, or weird monsters and crappy storylines had caught her eye, and wouldn't let go. She was watching, wide-eyed, at present as Blue Viceroy, the lead woman in the team, smashed her way through a concrete wall to get at a monster that was sucking yellow energies out of little children.

It was amusing, and the martial arts segments in the show always had Ranma laughing out loud, so he didn't mind watching it with Mitsuki.

But there was a noise outside the house. He wasn't sure what it was... sounded like light footsteps. He looked up.

Just as the front of the dorm's front lounge disappeared as a pair on bonbori ripped through it and smashed the wood into kindling.

"Airen!" a familiar sing-song voice called from outside. "Now you mine!"

"Oh my," Ranma said.

SAILOR MOON SAYS:

A little late. Was supposed to be finished on this one last night. Oh well, these things happen.

One note: I'm trying to get the Nerima stuff over and done with as soon as I can, or remove it from the storyline. Why? Well, it would affect Ranma negatively. His relationships there were not healthy, in any sense of the word, in any version of events. Also, because of their nature, they would dominate over everything else. So the rest of Truth will be mostly wrapping these lines up, and preparing for the next arc, which will either be Honour or Love (I forget which - but one is the next arc, the other is the last ;). Culminating this arc will be the maturation of the little critter making all these monsters. So now I need to name him.

Fred, anyone? ;)

Anyways. Next chapter: Shampoo, rinse, repeat.

PS: This *was* written just before FF.net went down. It went down when I tried to upload it. Sorry about that ;) New chapter very soon, hopefully...!


	19. Truth - Chapter 18

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff. Existing characters are properties of the people who made them up. Mitsuki, and several other characters are mine, and so's the story, hence ownership and copyright of them belongs to me. Contact me at domino@linksnet.nu if you want permission to use anything I've written for whatnot purposes.

TRUTH

by

Raymond Cooper

Chapter 18

** Splitting Hairs **

There was a noise outside the house. He wasn't sure what it was... sounded like light footsteps. He looked up.

Just as the front of the dorm's front lounge disappeared as a pair on bonbori ripped through it and smashed the wood into kindling.

"Airen!" a familiar sing-song voice called from outside. "Now you mine!"

"Oh my," Ranma said.

******

"Okay, Shampoo, you understand what's going on?"

"Aya! Shampoo do!" The purple-haired Amazon woman bobbed her head in understanding. She knew what was going on. Airen had run off - again - and this time split up with what he had always considered to be his primary fiancee (for reasons Shampoo couldn't understand). But not content with that, he had taken up living with seven new women, whom he had engaged himself to willingly, prepared to forget his Nerima engagements. This angered Shampoo. Surely she should get the next chance with her Airen. Or even Spatula-girl, now that Angry-girl was out of the way. Weird as to why Airen would do this. Oh well. She shrugged off the deeper implications, and the implications of the method of Shampoo's hearing this information. "Thank you, Nabiki. Shampoo think you make up for all times you played with Shampoo's head in past!"

Nabiki Tendo nodded. "Yes, yes."

"And you even not ask for payment!"

Nabiki almost gagged on that one. But nodded again. "Yes, er... yes. This information, you see, is... important! And I shouldn't be asking for payment with this tidbit. You see, Ranma did tell Akane some very unnice things. So telling you... that Ranma's jilting all of his fiances is kind of payback."

"But he is?"

"Leaving you all?" Nabiki put an angry look on her face. "Yes. And he's getting a harem together."

"Why he do that?"

Nabiki thought quickly. She hadn't expected that question. Inspiration struck like lightning. "He's scared you and Cologne might team up, try to beat him or something. Into submission, you know. So he's got the women to protect him."

"Airen not coward!"

"No, but Ranma's not stupid either. He knows that you and Cologne will wear yourselves out while he waits behind them, so he can be fresh when he fights you both."

"You tell Spatula-girl this?"

Nabiki shook her head. "What, would I do that?"

"Yes!"

"Well, maybe I would. But I haven't, yet. If you're successful in changing Ranma's mind... well, I won't have to, then, will I?"

Shampoo thought about this. It seemed a fair offer. But... "You no give free information. What you want Shampoo to do?"

"Change his mind about staying away from Nerima," Nabiki said, quietly. "He owes my family big time. In money, and in a debt of honour."

Shampoo nodded once. "Shampoo do this. Airen not flee from Shampoo again." The Amazon bounded off. Nabiki stared after her, watching the Chinese teen bounce over walls on her way back to the Nekohanten.

"All too easy..." Nabiki shrugged, and walked off to find Ukyou.

******

"Ranma?!?"

Mitsuki shook herself out of her stupor, and looked up at the new hole adorning the lounge. Ranma took up a ready-stance, in front of Mitsuki. "Stay back!" he said. "I can handle Shampoo."

One by one, he heard doors open behind him, and footsteps, as the occupants of the Ai Sou filed out into the lounge to see what had caused that almighty noise. Usagi opened her mouth to make some wondering remark about how a truck got up the stairs, when the dust cleared, and revealed a Chinese woman, the same age as her, glaring directly at Ranma. She was dressed in a pinkish outfit, but had purple hair. She really didn't look happy, and as Usagi watched, two bonbori bounced back towards the woman.

"Airen not hide behind harem?" the new arrival asked, wonderingly. She seemed uncertain for a moment, then Mitsuki stood up, shaking off the last effects of her pills.

"You're not gonna do that to Ranma, girl." She made a show of rolling her sleeves up. Ranma stared, surprised at her, dumbstruck. It was at that moment that he saw Shampoo's expression shift into one of resolve. She would go through each of these women living under the dormitory's roof to get to Ranma. And she'd take them out first.

He made a move to stop Mitsuki, but she held up a hand, not taking her eyes off Shampoo. "Leave her to me, sensei. I can stop this silly bitch."

Ranma's hand stayed up for a moment, then he dropped it, looking back to Shampoo. She wasn't looking at him now. He nearly missed Mitsuki's murmured words.

"You've already had to put up with enough from these kind of people."

She leapt.

******

"Keep your eye on the enemy, Xian."

Xian blinked the sweat out of her eyes, and desperately wanted to pull her hair back from her face. It had come out of her hair ties a few punches earlier and was now annoying her, getting in her eyes. Great Grandmother was chiding her. She'd dropped her head for a scant quarter second to let sweat drip off her brow.

She raised her head now, and jerked back involuntarily. Her opponant was leaping towards her, arm outstretched for a disabling blow. Xian couldn't allow that, so she tried to backflip, but started from a bad pose.

That failed flip was what saved her from instant failure. Expecting her to do a flawless backflip as she always had, Ming slid forward, another blow already in motion towards Xian's expected landing spot. But Xian wasn't there. She'd stumbled to the side, landing on a hand. She saw Ming's mistake, and rearranged her body weight to collapse down on the other girl, wrapping her legs around Ming's neck, then rotating and lifting the girl up into the air.

Ming struggled for a moment, then was slammed into the ground. Xian stood, brushed her hands off, and walked off, victorious. Great Grandmother nodded at her from the sideline, then turned, and disappeared. Xian turned, and faced her opponant. Ming was surprised; Xian Pu was a younger girl, and should have been easy to beat... in comparison to some Ming's companions. But Xian had studied Ming in secret, knew why her friends called her Ming the Merciless, and had prepared.

Before they'd stepped into the ring, Xian had known how to beat the older girl. And while Xian had made two mistakes... she had allowed Ming to make many, many more.

She stepped outside the ring, headed towards her hut to complete some cool-down exercises. The day's competition was over now, and the crowd that had gathered drifted off. As soon as Xian stepped inside the shade of her home, her grandmother's gravelly voice floated out of the air.

"Do you know why you almost lost?"

"Yes, Grand Grandmother."

"Why was that?"

"I allowed myself to lose concentration."

"Were you prepared for the match?"

"Yes, Great Grandmother."

"How did you prepare for the match?"

"I watched Ming prepare."

"How could you have done better?"

"I would not have lost concentration, Great Grandmother."

"Very good, Xian." There was a sigh from the rafters, signifying the end of the more formal part of the discussion, and Xian looked up. "Always remember, child, that you must observe an unknown enemy before you can hope to beat them. You may otherwise be surprised."

"Yes, Great Grandmother." Xian paused. "But I've seen Ming training many times, and she never tries anything different."

"There is no but, child. What happens if someone does something unexpected?"

"Yes, Great Grandmother."

******

Mitsuki's leap was easily dodged. Shampoo stepped to one side before returning with a swift chop to her lower back. The woman dropped to the ground, but rather than staying there, growled, and kicked her legs out sideways at Shampoo's. The Amazon jumped, but not quite soon enough, the tip of one foot grazing the swinging leg. Shampoo's weight was redistributed by the slap, and she found herself heading towards the ground.

An outstretched arm allowed her to spring up and bounce towards Ranma. One of her bonbori left her hand, flying with unerring accuracy at Ranma's head, but a casual block with a forearm shattered it. Shampoo gaped, but allowed herself no time to ponder this. Ranma was stronger now. He was better trained. Thus he would be a stronger, and harder, adversary. She couldn't afford to waste time on his new harem, so she dropped down onto both hands, and kicked out backwards with both feet. They buried themselves in Mitsuki's gut, and she staggered back, the wind knocked out of her, while Shampoo recovered, leaping to her feet and facing Ranma again.

He stepped back lightly to the ruined wall, and Shampoo stalked after him, not allowing his casual movements to entice her into a battle she knew she would lose. No, she would strike with everything at her disposal, and anything else she could find, to take her airen down. He needed to be taught a lesson - don't play around with the heart of an Amazon.

But he still kept his face turned to her. "Shampoo, why are you doing this?"

"Angry girl's sister tell Shampoo and Great Grandmother what you do! Now you Shampoo's!" Stupid, she thought to herself, speaking will only distract me. She decided it would be best to keep the speaking to a minimum.

"Nabiki?" Ranma looked puzzled. "I thought she'd be faster than this. It's been, what, a week now?" He looked at the girls gathering behind Shampoo for confirmation. Hotaru nodded slowly.

"Yes, Ranma-chan, about that."

Ranma-chan? Not as bad as Spatula-girl's Ranchan, but close enough. Shampoo saw red, but visibly kept her temper in check. She'd have to, to face her Airen with any hope of winning. The ki she was detecting from those behind her was almost insignificant, apart from the woman she had hammered. Already, Shampoo could feel her getting back to her feet, angry, very angry, and not hiding it. She said something under her breath, but Shampoo missed it. Ranma's eyes opened wide at something he saw behind Shampoo, and he shook his head.

"Shampoo! Get out of -"

But even before she could finish his sentence in her head, Shampoo felt a huge explosion of power behind her, and the stamped footsteps reached her before she could turn to see what had caused such a desvastating amount of ki to blast forth from a body. As she turned, a fist slammed into her ribs. There were audible cracks, and Shampoo looked surprised to everyone around her as the angry-looking woman's fist buried itself deep within her chest cavity. Everyone fell silent, then the Amazon dropped to the ground, still surprised. It was hard to breathe.

And there was no noise.

Almost as if detached from her body, Shampoo saw a foot pull back, and then rush towards her exposed midriff - but then pain blossomed along her side, shock dulling enough for her to realise someone had picked her up and was leaping skywards.

Up past Great Grandmother, her large eyes open wide on the roof as she watched her charge fly off to what Shampoo thought would be akin to a 'happy hunting ground' she'd heard of in badly-dubbed american movies.

Then she was falling - no, that couldn't be right. She'd been a good Amazon, surely no demons of any kind would dare lay claim to her soul! But yes, she was falling. And then hard impact. More pain swept through her body. Shampoo opened her eyes. Her Airen was holding her - that explained the sensations of flying. They were on top of the dorm. But she still couldn't hear.

******

Plugs, in Xian's ears. She couldn't hear, except for the dull thud of her heartbeat.

She knew, somewhere in this darkened room, was Ming. The older child had grown up with an intense dislike of the younger Amazon, and had trained ruthlessly to beat her for humiliations that had built up over the years. And now, in one of Xian Pu's training bouts, she had her chance to avenge them.

This test called for fighting skill, under the assumption that one had been struck deaf. Be it from an explosion, or injury - or infirmity, Elders forbid - Amazons were expected to be able to fight around disabilities. Xian was no different. She had trounced Ming in the blindness tests, and Muu Tse as well, but the deafness test was conducted in complete darkness - doubly compounding the problem.

Xian relied on the vibrations in the floor, in the walls when she found them, in the air.

She knew where Ming was.

That wasn't the problem. Xian hated not being able to hear. Her hearing was the sense she relied on most in combat. Some might say sight was more important, but Xian knew better. Sight didn't allow one to dodge a blow from behind, nor a knife from up high. Hearing covered that, the slight variations of air movements that signified a coming attack.

She trounced Ming in this test, also, but was sufficiently worried by the test to end up wearing the ear plugs for another month in daylight, until her Great Grandmother was sure her charge could lip read and act as well without hearing as she could with it.

******

"She's dying."

Cologne's words rang in Ranma's ears. He had been prepared to handle this eventuality - his fiances and their various suitors searching him out and tracking him down. But he hadn't been prepared for this. He moved to the edge of the roof, and looked down at Mitsuki - Sailor Nemesis - beind held back by the other senshi. Somehow, he didn't wonder where Sailors Moon, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter had come from. He had more important things on his mind. Like the broken girl in his arms. Blood gushed from the wound, covering his clothes.

Down below, Saturn looked up at him, then, barely pushing off with her feet, she leapt up to Ranma's side. "I can take care of this."

"Are you sure?" Ranma murmured. "She's.."

Saturn nodded, staring into Ranma's eyes. Cologne's eyes narrowed. It would seem the Tendo girl hadn't lied. Ranma was romancing - or being romanced - with these girls.

Saturn's hands came out, and laid themselves on Shampoo's side. She closed her eyes with effort, and energy built up along the surface of her skin, moving from her into the Amazon teen. Cologne watched as bone reknitted, lungs sucked back together, and blood vessels relinked to each other. Then, the skin joined over the top, until there was only the discolouration of blood on her skin and clothing to show Shampoo had been injured. But that skin was pale.

"I can't replace the blood lost, Ranma," Saturn murmured quietly. "She'll need to go see a doctor quickly."

Ranma turned to Cologne. "Take her to Doctor Tofu's. Or someplace closer, if you want." Cologne nodded, and took the prone woman in her arms. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Ranma.

"The Tendo daughter was right. You are taking up with other women."

Ranma scowled. "Listen, old ghoul, I'm lettin' you go so you can get Shampoo help. From now, I don't want to see you here. Nor anyone else from Nerima, get it? I'm sick of being dragged into this. Yeah, I'm sorry about what happened to Shampoo, and I'll deal with it. But consider this a warning. I don't want to see anyone of you back here again."

There was a final-sounding note about those words. Cologne made a judgment call. There would be time for retribution later. For now, there was Shampoo. She nodded, and bounced off into the night on her cane, Shampoo somehow being held over her shoulder. Ranma and Saturn quickly lost sight of them after they dropped over the lip of the hill.

Then Saturn turned to Ranma once more. "Ranma?"

He shook his head and turned away. "I'll kill her for this."

"Ranma." The voice was stripped of the power and charge that Ranma associated with Saturn, and he knew that Hotaru was standing behind him. She laid a hand on his shoulder. "Ranma. Let us deal with this. Go work this anger off. She's likely to kill you if you blow up at her."

"How could she do that?" Ranma exploded. "Be so savage? Be so strong? Be so uncaring?"

"She wasn't thinking of that girl, Ranma, she was thinking of *you*." Hotaru sighed. "I'm not condoning her actions - far from it. That... none of us know where that comes from. How... why she broke like that... I don't know. And trust me, the - the other senshi breaking their covers with you around? That means it's very bad."

"Breaking their covers...?" Ranma snorted, and refused to turn around still. "That violence, though, was completely... over the top! She should be locked up. She should be -"

"But how long could any place you can think of hold her? She's only be held as long as she wanted to be held - and the results from that could be *worse*." Hotaru paused. She was doing her best of not letting the horror from below touch her, so she could talk Ranma out of doing something stupid. "Ranma... when I got my powers... when I realised I was Sailor Saturn... I did some bad things. I hold the power to destroy worlds. And I nearly did. Thankfully, I was stopped... and the things that had taken up residence in me were also destroyed, scattered. But I think back... and I see myself as I was then... and as I am now... and I thank God and my friends that they wouldn't let me do that. That they stopped me. I think... we've got to try and work this out with her - just so it doesn't happen again." She pulled lightly on Ranma's shoulder, and now he turned. She almost cringed at the expression on his face - anger, hatred, disgust. "Ranma... please. Let us deal with her?"

"I can't... I can't train that thing. She's beyond my help."

"That might be true. And for the best. We'll let her know. We'll keep her out of your way. You won't even know she's here."

"I'd better not know." Ranma pushed past Hotaru and stalked off to his room.

Hotaru looked down off the roof again, then sighed, transformed, and dropped to the ground.

******

Things had calmed down. The senshi were clustered in Usagi's room, still in their senshi forms, apart from Nemesis, who had reverted to her human form, and was crying with shame and embarrassment in the middle of a circle of senshi.

No one reached out to her. No one said anything. They just kept an even, if angry, gaze on the woman in front of them. And Mitsuki was too shamed to go anywhere, to meet their gaze, to move.

When she finally stopped crying, and wheezed from lack of breath, she looked worried. But still she wouldn't speak. Not for a good half hour. Then, in a very small, tiny voice, she asked, "Can someone get me my pills, please?"

Venus stood up, and exited the room, returning a few minutes later with an orange bottle of pills. She handed them wordlessly to Mitsuki, who still refused to meet her gaze, and took her place as the older woman uncapped the bottle and shook four pills into her hand. She raised her head to swallow them, then looked back down again at the floor.

"Why did you do it?" Sailor Moon asked.

"I got angry," came the quiet, meek reply. "I always get angry."

"That wasn't getting angry," Mars threw in. "That was psychotic."

"Not far wrong," Venus said. "The medication she's on is for a multiple personality disorder."

Mitsuki nodded, blushing in shame and wrapping herself up in her arms. "Yes."

"So you hear voices?" Sailor Moon asked. Jupiter whacked her around the back of her head. "Ow!"

"Multiple personality disorder, Usagi, she becomes different people. Has different personalities."

"Yes," Mitsuki repeated. "But not always. Sometimes it's... just someone getting close to me, and... something happens. But... I've got some bad people in me."

"We saw," Mars interjected, wryly. "Do you do that to all women who burst in through your wall and attack you?" She thought about that a moment, then added, "Put that way..."

Saturn had been quiet until now. "So why did you do what you did to that Chinese girl?"

"I... I don't know," Mitsuki said, her voice trembling. Venus looked up sharply - why was Mitsuki lying about that? But she stayed silent for the time being. "But she threatened Ranma, and us, and... and my medication I'd taken earlier was wearing off... and then... then one of my more violent personalities... came out, and I... I can't really remember a lot else."

"You're aware of your personalities?" Mercury asked. Mitsuki nodded. Mercury raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What trauma set these off in the first place?"

"I think it may have been my mother dying... but that's all I know. That, and gaining access to my powers and memories of a time long dead over ten years ago." The senshi looked amongst themselves. Mitsuki, with a glance, determined correctly the question. "Yeah. I 'woke up' as it were a long time ago. Just after my mother died. And... and I ran away from home, after I'd almost destroyed it."

The other senshi looked around at each other again, but decided this was a discussion best left for another time.

Mars had a question. "Uh... one of your more violent personalities? You mean there are worse than whatever we saw tonight?"

Mitsuki nodded, wrapping herself up again, and began to tell a story from five years earlier, when she encountered some cult terrorists in a Tokyo subway station...

******

Cologne sat beside Shampoo's bed, waiting. The doctors had given her a transfusion of blood, and she was on the road to recovery. It would still be a few days before she could leave the hospital, though, and Cologne wanted Shampoo to think about something while she was here. She dropped into Chinese, so she couldn't be understood, when her great (many times over) granddaughter's eyes fluttered open.

"Xian Pu?"

"Yes, Great Grandmother?" She responded in Chinese, unconsciously.

"What rule of combat did you forget?"

Shampoo thought. And thought hard. "I... I did not observe them for any length of time, Great Grandmother."

"Did this teach you anything?"

"Yes, Great Grandmother."

"And that was?"

"That I should take Akane and Ukyou with me next time. And the Kunos, Muu Tsu, that old panda, his wife, Soun Tendo, and Ryoga as well. And train us all beforehand to combat that girl who used magic."

"Sailor Senshi, I think, Xian," Cologne mused. "There are ways around their power... according to legend, there were a version of them around at the dawn of the Amazons. I will need to immerse myself in books for a time, child. But rest assured, we will find a way of turning this to our advantage."

"Yes, Great Grandmother." Shampoo paused. "May I sleep now? I am very tired."

Cologne nodded, and watched her charge drop into a deep slumber. Once she was certain the girl was alseep, she rubbed at her chin with a hand. "Yes... there are ways around their powers... but they call for great sacrifices..."

SAILOR MOON SAYS: Hey! Two for the price of one! Because I'd started writing this chapter before uploading the last, I thought both had best wait until I'd finished this one. Sorry about that ^^;;

Anyway, this is another part that went ways I didn't expect. This will, for now, be the end of the Nerima interruptions. Rest assured, they will return. After all, there's that really bad babe, Kasumi, waiting in the wings. And a rampaging race of monsters building numbers up in the alleys and schools of Tokyo...

We're getting near the end of this arc, anyways. Just thought I'd point that out. We're reaching the point where everything for this part has to start coming together in preparation for the next. This thing with Mitsuki? Hmm. Who knows how that will go? But there will be some resolution to this current problem in the next few parts, yes.

Next time: What next? Who knows! I certainly don't. Got to get my thoughts together again. But in a dorm as small as the Ai Sou, how long can Ranma avoid the woman who nearly killed one of his former fiances? How will Nabiki react to this unexpected turn of events? And just what methods of fighting senshi do the Amazons know?


	20. Truth - Chapter 19

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff. Existing characters are properties of the people who made them up. Mitsuki, and several other characters are mine, and so's the story, hence ownership and copyright of them belongs to me. Contact me at domino@linksnet.nu if you want permission to use anything I've written for whatnot purposes.  
  
  
  
TRUTH  
  
by  
  
Raymond Cooper  
  
Chapter 19  
  
** In-Betweeners **  
  
  
"Ranma..."  
  
He turned his back on Mitsuki, folded his arms, and walked off along the fence. Even from behind, she could see the frown on his face, feel the hatred and anger roiling off him like a thunderstorm brewing.  
  
Perhaps the others were right. Leave him alone. He'll either accept her for what she was - and what she had done - or he wouldn't.  
  
The same choice the senshi had been given. They'd chosen to accept her, although she would never be treated lightly, nor as a close friend.  
  
More like the safety on a gun.  
  
Regardless, it would be some months.  
  
******  
  
Nabiki was stunned.  
  
Not quite into silence, but close enough. She hadn't predicted this turn of events. Shampoo in hospital? Had nearly been killed, but was apparently fine (if a little weak) now? Girls who were stronger than Ranma? That could be bad. Definitely.  
  
Especially considering she had just spent the last few days sending off the others of Ranma's previous companions in Nerima into facing him - and apparently his new protectors - over the insult he had thrown at her family.  
  
That memory caused a small pit of bile to leak in her stomach. Nabiki frowned, and began wondering just how she could twist this to her own advantage. There were few people she knew who could maybe tip the odds in her family's favour... and several of them lived within Nerima. If anyone could find a way of circumventing these girls in miniskirts, it would be Cologne. She nodded briefly to herself - Cologne it would be.  
  
"Thinking about something?" Hotaru asked.  
  
Nabiki looked up, large eyes questioning. "Huh?"  
  
"You were nodding. Several times."  
  
"Oh." Yeah, she thought back, she had been. "Yeah. I was just thinking. Plans and stuff, you know." She shrugged it off, and turned her attention back to the scrawled note she had found in her locker, the one that told her about Shampoo's condition. It was in Kuno's handwriting. She'd check in with him later.  
  
"So, what are we going to do today, Nabiki?"  
  
"Same thing we do every day, Hotaru - make lots of money."  
  
Hotaru smiled. "Nice."  
  
******  
  
A week passes.  
  
******  
  
Ranma practised his katas, while his growing class watched. Mitsuki was no longer present, but Makoto has joined them, rising earlier to make breakfasts before training. Minako has likewise joined them, standing slightly apart from the others, a questioning look on her face. Occasionally, as Ranma grunted at the apex of a particularly complex manoeuvre, she frowned.  
  
Minako leaned over to Rei. "Is he always like this? Showing off to the new students?"  
  
Rei raised an eyebrow. "Showing off? He's holding back." There was a yell from Ranma, and an energy blast shot over the roof of the dormitory. Part of the hill behind vapourised in an intense explosion. "... or he could be working off stress or something," Rei conceeded finally.  
  
As soon as Ranma stopped, panting, he glared around at his students. With particular venom at Rei and Hotaru, Minako thought. Weird. She thought he was sweet on their young Saturn. "What are you waiting for?" he barked. "Should be practising your katas." He stalked off to find a towel.  
  
"Are you sure he's alright?" Rei asked Hotaru quietly.  
  
The younger senshi shook her head. "He's not. He's... blowing off steam. But he's really angry and frightened, I think, at what Mitsuki did. Maybe even at how easily. And with so little control over her actions."  
  
Minako leaned in. "He's, uh, been rather abrupt this last week."  
  
Hotaru nodded. "This won't blow over."  
  
"I wouldn't think it should," Makoto offered as she started off a basic routine. The others turned to her with questioning eyes. "What? She nearly killed one of his old friends. Well, one of his friends, really. I just don't think he liked that whole fiance and property thing. But Mitsuki... what she did shouldn't be forgotten, or swept under the rug."  
  
"We didn't say it should be," Minako replied. "But she won't get better unless she's helped. If she can't apologise, she can't move on herself."  
  
"Be that as it may, Ranma's still got to get over the fact that she *nearly killed his friend*." Makoto threw a punch, pulled back, blocked, threw another. "Be as supportive of our fellow senshi as you want, that fact remains. Ranma might not *want* to forgive her. I can't see any reason why he would."  
  
Hotaru shook her head. "We've got bigger problems, too. There's a new race of monsters out there. They seem more powerful than most of what we've fought before. Nemesis is our strongest player. She's not going to be much use to us if she thinks Ranma's hating her."  
  
"That doesn't -"  
  
"Okay, Makoto, we've got the message," Rei grumbled. "But I agree with you. I don't think he should forget her. And what she told us about that gas attack..." Rei shuddered, and looked down at the ground. "You know... Hotaru... she's got a huge crush on Ranma." Hotaru nodded, and although Rei couldn't see, she sensed it, and went on. "Is this why she's obsessed with finding his forgiveness?"  
  
Minako shook her head. "No... she mentioned a few other guys that... similar things have happened to by her. Although I get the impression she was meaning something different than this. And she feels plenty guilty about those."  
  
"Yeah." Rei stopped a moment. "Hotaru - you're right. We've got other concerns here at the moment than Ranma's feelings and a senshi's sanity. Has anyone actually *seen* one of those monsters in the last week?"  
  
******  
  
A fortnight later.  
  
******  
  
The black creature looked up from its feet, white eyes seemingly burning into every monster present. As of this point in time, the monster notes, there are several dozen children, and even more grandchildren. Umiko stood to one side of him, dressed once more in a nurse's uniform. That nurse stood below them, in the filth, twisted into a mockery of an adult female woman. Others, on either side of this new monster, are equally as twisted, scales and spines breaking through the skin.  
  
One such notable was the man who'd had his skeleton explode through his skin and wrap him up in an exoskeleton.  
  
On his other side stood Natsumi. Behind them are the other three original generals.  
  
Umiko cleared her throat quietly, and instantly, the throng of monsters fell silent. She raised her voice so she could be heard at the back of the cavernous basement.  
  
"Subjects. I speak for our master. Any who dispute this, step forward and disagree." None did. Umiko paused still before continuing. "The senshi have made a critical error, and the time for our attack has come. From all appearances, they are now ostracising their most powerful member, as we've noted when they go on patrols of the city. This senshi also seems to be seen a lot less often, and does not assist when the senshi go to the rescue of people who have had 'accidents'." Umiko grinned. Several monsters sniggered. Yeah, accidents, *sure*. "This has given us a possibility we can exploit. It is possible that we may be able to defeat the senshi in piecemeal fashion if this schism continues. General Natsumi."  
  
Natsumi stepped forward and took over. "Close observation of the senshi has shown that of late, they are starting to factionalise, divide into two groups. Apparently, something has happened to put this senshi on the outer, and we wish to keep her out there. While her resolve is weakened, we will attempt to overpower her, and bring the most powerful member of the senshi to her knees." A claw was raised. "Yes?"  
  
"What about Sailor Moon? Should we fear her Eternal form?"  
  
Natsumi shook her head. "For what ever reason, we have yet to see this transformation in action. We're thinking currently she may have... forgotten. Pluto has been known to act in mysterious ways from time to time, and she may have sealed them. Then again, she may simply have found a method of using that power in her regular Sailor Moon form. Either way, expect her to be as strong as the master prepared you for." The monster nodded, and leaned back into his previous stance. No other questions were forthcoming, so Umiko gestured at a table up the back. On it were several small stacks of photocopied papers. "We have plans there, for you to peruse. Those of you listed by name in them have instructions. The rest of you are to lie low. understood?"  
  
There was a general growl of agreement from the crowd. Natsumi nodded in satisfaction, then stepped back and glanced at Umiko. Umiko smiled darkly, then stepped back into the shadows to tend to the Master. He seemed to be in some slight discomfort at the moment.  
  
******  
  
Two days later...  
  
******  
  
Mitsuki walked through the university grounds, trailing behind the other senshi. She was dressed in a checkered pleated skirt, and a white button-up shirt. She held her books with both hands in front of her hips, staring at the ground. Every so often, Ami or Minako would turn back to check on her progress. Satisfied she was following, they would then turn back and resume their conversations.  
  
Mitsuki saw feet enter her field of vision, from behind her, and then they paced her. Someone was walking on one side of her. She kept her head down and her eyes forward. Then someone came up on the other side of her, also slowing to pace her footsteps once they had reached her.  
  
Now she looked up, into the twinkling eyes of a young man. Keitaro? What was he doing here?  
  
"Hi, remember me?" he asked.  
  
Mitsuki nodded.  
  
"Just wanted to give my thanks. You know. For saving me. Well, helping."  
  
"How -" Mitsuki started, but stopped. How did he know who she was? There was no way he could have seen through her senshi form's identity... did this mean he was a monster again?  
  
Keitaro shrugged. "I remembered lots of things. They just took time coming back. And one was a woman who looked and sounded just like you."  
  
"But..." Again, Mitsuki was confused by the fact he had seen through a magical screen that could defeat all but the most powerful monsters. Was this an indication of how strong these monsters would be? No... that couldn't be it.  
  
"You look just like her," Keitaro mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.  
  
On Mitsuki's other side, there was a very feminine snort. "Really, Keitaro... you imagine things. There are no such things as monsters. There are no such things as girls who run around in short skirts with magic."  
  
"You'll have to forgive Narusegawa," Keitaro confided quietly. "After, uh, what I did to her... she kinda made herself forget what had happened. She can't remember a thing. Well, she can, she doesn't want to."  
  
Mitsuki nodded, mutely.  
  
"You know, something in my head keeps saying it wasn't you, but I know better," he went on. "You don't get hit by girls as much as I used to without learning a few things about identifying people, you know."  
  
Oh, so that was it? A near-magical power of his own? But Mitsuki just nodded, dumbly, and began staring at her feet again. Then a hand grabbed her roughly by the arm, and began pulling her.  
  
"Come on, Mitsuki!" Ami. "Oh. Keitaro. Hello." Mitsuki could feel the daggers from Narusegawa. Obviously, there was no love lost between the two women. "Back with the ex-girlfrend?"  
  
"That's right. I... owed her." Keitaro sounded a little resigned, but also a glimmer of happiness in his voice. Perhaps he really loved Narusegawa. And maybe she had stopped hitting him. Maybe. "You know how that is, Ami."  
  
"Do I?"  
  
"You know what I did to her. All of it."  
  
Ami was silent for a time. "No. All I remember is you hurt her hand. Or claimed to."  
  
Keitaro patted Mitsuki's shoulder. "Time to go, Naru-chan. See you, Ami. Bye bye, miss planet warrior. And thanks again." Mitsuki could hear the smile in his voice as he walked off.  
  
Ami watched the two depart. Then, she started pulling on Mitsuki's arm again. "Come on. We've got to catch up."  
  
"None of you trust me now, do you?"  
  
"Of course we trust you." A pause. "You did take your pills this morning?" A nod from Mitsuki. "Of course we trust you. Why would you think any differently?"  
  
******  
  
Natsumi watched the exchange. Her eyes lingered on Keitaro momentarily. One of her first mistakes. As yet, not her last, but her closest victory over the senshi nonetheless. She'd heard the exchange, and yeah, staring at the girls walking in the other direction, she could almost imagine them in sailor fukus, prancing and dancing and flinging magical powers around with abandon. Yes, very likely. That could mean that certain segments of the Master's plan could be brought forward. Umiko would be *so* happy about that.  
  
And so would the Master. Perhaps happy enough to elevate Natsumi above Umiko?  
  
Who cared if Umiko was the first! If she was the one who had given initial life and sustainence to the Master... Umiko did nothing these days except stand at the Master's right hand, ready and waiting, a sycophant of the highest order. She didn't plan, she didn't act, she certainly didn't add to the population in the Master's name. Could she therefore be considered material for the top position?  
  
Top, under the Master, at least...  
  
Hmm. But anyway. That woman? Possibly. Natsumi raised a closed hand, opened it, revealing a small bird, twisted and warped by biological matter that had forces itself out of its chest, back, and neck. One of its eyes glowed a brilliant red, the other was normal. It looked up at Natsumi, and she nodded down at the woman being pulled along by the younger woman. "That one. Follow her. Report what you see."  
  
The bird nodded, then took flight, and dropped downwards towards the ground, leveling out, and following Mitsuki as she once more followed the senshi through the streets.  
  
******  
  
A week later...  
  
******  
  
"Nemesis! Cover up that flank!"  
  
Mercury's voice could be heard through the loud rumbling. A second building collapsed behind them, a small corner store. The monster within stirred, and heaved itself up and out of the rubble.  
  
Nemesis leaped around lightly as directed to cover a side street while the senshi took up offensive positions again. She landed within half a dozen metres of Mars, who turned and glared. "Move over further." Nemesis stopped and stared for a moment, then moved again, a little slower, not so energetically.  
  
The monster, looking like a hairy anklyosaur on two legs, stomped forward, having regained his feet again. "RAAAAAR! Tohkar stamp you all!"  
  
"He doesn't know how to speak properly, that's new!" Mars shouted over the din of the monster's speech. "Mars flame SNIPER!"  
  
"Don't get overconfident, Mars! He is immensely strong!"  
  
"Tohkar SONIC GROUND WAVE!" The monster smashed his fists down on the road's surface, and the tar rippled into waves, ground tearing up and peppering the senshi in chunks of stone. He was bleeding, though, from over a dozen wounds. Some were minor, most major.  
  
While the senshi were distracted, Tohkar decided that discretion was the best part of valour here, and decided to run for it. He bolted for the side street Nemesis was covering. But she was too far over to one side, thanks to where she had moved. And added to that fact, she was getting more and more worried about her strength. She didn't move fast enough to stop Tohkar - his fist smashed out as she tried to tackle him, and she flew backwards through a third building, coming to an abrupt stop against another building's wall. She slid to the ground, and stayed there for the moment.  
  
Sailor Moon staggered to her feet, to see Tohkar running off down the road, fast as he could. While the senshi could catch him - none of them were in the best of condition to chase him. Damn... another monster that's escaped. That had been two in that last week? Something had to be done. She stalked over to the alleyway Nemesis lay in.  
  
"What do you think you were doing? Mercury *told* you to cover that flank!"  
  
Nemesis didn't raise her head, instead, she lowered it further. Mars joined in the demands as to why Nemesis hadn't stopped Tohkar from escaping, and then Mercury as well. Jupiter looked about to join in, but Saturn grabbed her arm and shook her head. She stepped up towards the other senshi.  
  
"She tried her best. She's been trying her best! How can you criticise her?"  
  
Sailor Moon rounded on the smaller senshi. "How can you say that? She's doing what she wants, and not what she's told! She's a danger to us all!"  
  
"And Sailor Mars told her to move from where she was covering! How can you criticise her for doing what you all are telling her? We've lost two dark kingdomers now because someone has told her to do something or mvoe away from them - we're not gonna be effective until you can all get over this!"  
  
"Us! Get over this? What she did -"  
  
Saturn shook her head. "I don't believe you all. I'm taking Nemesis back to the dormitory. I'll see you all later." She shook her head and made a sound of disgust as she helped Nemesis up, then leapt off into the sky.  
  
Sailor Moon glared at Saturn's retreating back. "More and more, they're both causing trouble."  
  
Venus stepped forward. "But she's right. You're all as much to blame for this as Nemesis is. And none of you are willing to admit it."  
  
"Then you're part of the problem, too," Mercury shot back.  
  
"At least I admit it," Venus snarled in reply.  
  
Jupiter eyed the senshi. "You know, I don't like what she did. But... maybe Saturn and Venus have a point. As long as we ostracise her, she's not going to be effective. And neither are we. She's stronger than Mars and I... stronger than Saturn... maybe stronger than you, Sailor Moon. And we're not using her. We're pushing her out. Ranma wouldn't approve -"  
  
"Oh Ranma," Sailor Moon scoffed. "Has anyone seen him around lately? He's in a permanent bad mood!"  
  
"Maybe because he's still angry, and no one's talking to him," Venus replied, then turned on her heel. "Come on, Jupiter, let's catch up to Saturn and give her a hand." Jupiter nodded, and both took off into the darkening skies.  
  
"Hmph!" Sailor Moon snorted, then turned back to Mars and Mercury. "They just won't listen."  
  
"Their funeral," Mars replied.  
  
******  
  
"R...Ranma?"  
  
Mitsuki sat up in bed suddenly, the darkened room seeming to be darker above the foot of her bed. Was it him? Could it be him?  
  
The shape moved, then headed towards the door. Ranma's body was framed in dim light from the hallway before he shut it behind him.  
  
"Why was he in here?" Mitsuki thought aloud. "What reason..." She remembered her injuries, and checked over them. Hmm... nothing but a little tenderness. Hotaru had done a good job. She lay back in the bed. She'd have to ask Hotaru in the morning what was going on. But for now, she was... very... tired....  
  
******  
  
The next morning...  
  
******  
  
Ranma sat on the roof of the dorm, watching the girls go to university. Once they were gone, he'd start practising again. Mitsuki stopped for a moment on the lip of the stairs, and turned back to lock eyes with Ranma. She gave him a nervous smile, and ducked her head in acknowledgement before leaving. Ranma nodded back.  
  
"Ahem."  
  
Hotaru. Behind him. Looking as unsteady on her feet up here as ever. "Ranma."  
  
"I made sure she was okay last night, like you asked."  
  
"You still can't forgive her?"  
  
"She can't yet say sorry to me. She couldn't say it to Shampoo. I can't forgive her until then."  
  
"But... you aren't as angry now?"  
  
"I've had time to think about it. Yeah... I'm still angry. But... it shows me something."  
  
"What's that?" She was right behind him now. Hands on his shoulders for balance.  
  
"I wasn't a good teacher."  
  
"How do you mean?"  
  
"Well, I was your guys' senshi... I was *supposed* ta teach you all about responsibility and control... I failed. It's as much my fault... as it is her's." His shoulders slumped a little.  
  
Hotaru's voice was now around his ears, breathing in lightly. The sensations sent small shivers up and down Ranma's spine. "You taught us control. She couldn't help that, though - she's a mass of shifting personalities, fighting for dominance. I think... there's something in her past that caused her to be like this. Something big. She won't talk to us, Ranma." Those last words were spoken with emphasis.  
  
"Yeah, maybe. But... I'll see what I can do."  
  
"That's all I ask, Ranma. We need her. We all need her. Even you. You're involved in this monster war, too, now... you'll need her before long. We need her thikning straight. For her own good as well as ours."  
  
Ranma nodded. "Shouldn't you be on your way to school? Uh... where *are* you going that's so far away, anyhow?"  
  
Hotaru gave him a cheeky smile. "Never mind about that. I'll be home late this afternoon. My... sempai," she spoke the word with wry humour, "is having an after-school meeting with some people. I've got to attend." Ranma nodded, and she hesitantly kissed him on the cheek before leaving.  
  
Ranma watched Hotaru head down the stairs, taking them slowly. She was still practising with him in the mornings, and although his training had been erratic of late, Ranma could see she had been trying hard. Her body was firming up, gaining muscle and endurance. She could tackle those stairs without resorting to changing into her senshi form now, even if she was exhausted by the time she got to the top or the bottom. She was trying so hard to please him, to be someone he could be proud of... he was very happy.  
  
But it might be time very soon... for him to return to Nerima for a time. Why? To check up on things. On people. To make sure his other 'friends' in Nerima *stayed* in Nerima. Hmm. He stretched back on the roof, soaking up the warm light from the sun.  
  
Tomorrow. He'd go to Nerima tomorrow.  
  
To be continued...  
  
  
SAILOR MOON SAYS:  
  
Gah. Another part that would not write until tonight :P Well, as a change, this is just a straight txt file, rather than txt altered to html. I'll see how this looks, and might go this way, since it takes me a while on this comp to convert to html :P  
  
Oh well. I am *so sorry* this took so long... I've had it started since about three weeks ago, but would literally almost fall asleep at the keyboard whenever I opened it, or thought about opening it in some cases. It's a hurried look at the most important bits and pieces over the space of a month. Don't know if it worked... I kind of like the idea. Won't do it too often... except maybe later in the arc for something that's coming... which usually calls for this approach. But for now, I'll mark this as a successful experiment. Anyone disagree?  
  
So. In the next chapter, Ranma goes back to Nerima. Anything else need to be said? ;)  
  
As usual, comments that people want to send me (other than reviews, etc) can be sent to me via domino@linksnet.nu or misato_98@yahoo.com I check the Yahoo address more often, for those who have emailed me (thank you, your comments are always appreciated and replied to, even if it might take me a few days to get to it) or might want to email me. Anyways, until next time... 


	21. Truth - Chapter 20

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff. Existing characters are properties of the people who made them up. Mitsuki, and several other characters are mine, and so's the story, hence ownership and copyright of them belongs to me. Contact me at domino@linksnet.nu if you want permission to use anything I've written for whatnot purposes.  
  
  
  
TRUTH  
  
by  
  
Raymond Cooper  
  
Chapter 20  
  
** Kiss of Death **  
  
  
Minako stepped through her basic training routine, while Ranma stood by and watched, towel in hand. He observed as she threw a punch, and shook his head. Minako moved into a waiting stance while he demonstrated the correct style of punch they had practised. "Rotate the wrist through one hundred-eighty degrees and aim to finish with your wrist in line with your elbow."  
  
"Like a piledriver."  
  
"Yeah." He leaned back, and watched as Minako tried again. Not accurate in the least, but better than it had been. She threw several morein timed succession. They got better as she progressed.  
  
"She seems to be learning the basics fine," Hotaru noted from behind Ranma's back. He didn't turn around.  
  
"Faster than you guys did, that's for sure. But maybe that's because she had no real training or thoughts of training before." Ranma shrugged. "The rest of you did. Or thought you knew it all." He could feel Hotaru blush. While that wasn't completely accurate, she had believed that as the senshi of destruction, she knew something more than Ranma did about fighting.  
  
After all, the ultimate finishing move (or opening move, even) was blowing up a planet.  
  
Of which Hotaru was capable.  
  
But now, she was dressed in her school uniform, fluffed out skirt waving in the breeze up on the mountain. Her briefcase containing homework and lunch was clasped in both hands in front of her, and she waited. The breeze blew from behind her, towards Ranma, and he sniffed. Wow. Turning, he raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Perfume?" Hotaru nodded. "Heh. Remind me to tell you a story about that one day. You looking for a ride down the stairs?" She nodded again. "Gimme five minutes to grab a shower, and I'll be out. Okay, Minako, that's enough for now. You'd better get ready for university today, too."  
  
"Okay..." Minako muttered, concentrating and throwing one last punch. The ki spike from it made Ranma blink. He looked at Hotaru, and she cocked her head to one side.  
  
"Guess."  
  
"You're kidding." The younger girl shook her head. "You're not kidding. Wow. You girls just keep turning up everywhere."  
  
Minako eyed Hotaru. "You told him?"  
  
Hotaru shrugged. "He, uh, found out half of us pretty damned quick. He keeps his mouth shut about it, too." She shrugged again, and pushed Ranma towards the dormitory's front doors. "Hurry up and shower."  
  
"I'm going, I'm going," Ranma muttered, and headed off inside.  
  
******  
  
At the bottom of the stairs, Ranma lowered Hotaru from his back, and rubbed at the back of his head slightly embarrassed as she patted her billowing uniform skirt down. Actually, though, the more he looked at it, the more it seemed familiar...  
  
"Hotaru?" he asked. "Uh... what school do you go to?"  
  
Okay, Hotaru decided. Now's the time to tell him the truth - or to lie. How would be react to knowing that I'm... interfering in his life? Or protecting him, howvere you want to put it. Would he react calmly? Or would he react angrily? She knew he wasn't fully over recent events, not by a long shot. Hell, he still wouldn't allow Mitsuki into the training in the morning, although he wasn't automatically turning away from her, either. He just wasn't acknowledging her now.  
  
Which, technically, was an improvement.  
  
At least Hotaru could safely let them be in the same room together, alone, knowing that there wouldn't be blood on the wall when she returned. Who's she couldn't say these days. Why not? Well, as much as Ranma had been teaching them, and as much as they'd learnt about Ranma, Ranma could still run rings around them. He simply knew more about fighting than they did - and it seemed he knew more about warfare, too, judging by some muttered comments in impromptu strategy meetings at morning training.  
  
Which also meant, while Hotaru thought he'd be okay with the knowledge that she was help to stop formal rivals from attacking him over breaking off his engagement, she really didn't want to try and place more of a load on Ranma's shoulders until he'd gotten over Mitsuki's attack on Shampoo.  
  
Which meant a lie.  
  
"Juuban West High," she replied, the lie sticking somewhere in her teeth. It certainly didn't sound convincing to her. Yet Ranma smiled, and nodded, as if he wasn't really listening. She probably could have grabbed his ear, yelled, "I'M GOING TO FURINKAN HIGH, DOLT!" and he'd have just smiled and nodded. Hotaru thought, anyway.  
  
"Well, I'm heading off for the day," he continued, looking down the road. He had a fair walk ahead of him... and he wanted to be in Nerima before lunch... he'd hit the school on his way home, most likely. Simply because he'd have to check up on what kind of things Nabiki had been saying in the last few months, and that would mean he'd have to steel himself and run the gauntlet. He waved, and headed off.  
  
Hotaru breathed a sigh of relief, then started off for the local train station.  
  
******  
  
"Hotaru-chan!"  
  
Nabiki called out of the heads of half a dozen boys clustered around her. She was doing her morning take, Hotaru noticed, running the betting pool. She wondered what the latest was. She also noticed a girl standing next to Nabiki... well, hanging upside-down next to Nabiki, at any rate. Bleached blond hair, tanned skin. Wearing the Furinkan High uniform a little oddly, looser than usually done by girls.  
  
Ah, Kaolla Su, Hotaru remembered. From the dorm that Ami's ex-boyfriend came from - what, the Hinata Sou? Yeah, that was it. She nodded at Kaolla, and stepped up behind Nabiki. "Yes, sempai?"  
  
Nabiki stopped taking bets for a few moments to turn around to Hotaru. She bent down to peer into Hotaru's wondering eyes. As always, Nabiki's mind was perfectly open: you're my little slave and you don't know it, those eyes said. Hotaru grinned inside. As long as she kept up the sycophantic cover, Hotaru would be in no danger. "Hotaruuu... I've got a job for you."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You remember me talking about that boy who cruelly dumped my sister?"  
  
Yes, of course she did; she'd spent the previous night leaning up against him on the couch while they watched Ranger Rescue SD. She nodded. "Yes, sempai."  
  
"Kaolla says he's coming this way today. I want to make a special welcome for him at the school. Can you run around the classes and tell them Ranma Saotome will be arriving around lunch time?"  
  
What are you up to, Nabiki Tendo? Hotaru wondered. She glanced at Kaolla, who grinned happily and vacantly. "Yes, sempai. I can do that." And then Nabiki had turned back, was taking bets again.  
  
Kaolla leaned in, excited. "Yes! Again, the world will tremble at the sight of -" She paused, thinking about something, very obviously forcing herself to remember something. "Maybe not. Mecha-Tama 4 isn't as big, nor as complicated as the others..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Mecha-Tama 4 is a miniaturised espionage device!" Kaolla punched the air. "The world will learn to fear Mecha-Tama 4's invasion of their privacy!" She bounced off, almost literally, to continue on her rantings and ravings, leaving behind a confused Hotaru and one other girl.  
  
She looked somewhat similar to Hotaru, even had the embarrassed blush that Hotaru had perfected the first few days in the Ai Sou around Ranma, as she bowed forward. "Sorry. I'm so sorry. Kaolla is a little exciteable with her new toys."  
  
Hotaru knew the girl. She'd transferred in with Kaolla and another girl... Sara? Weirdly enough, they too lived with Keitaro Urashima. Shinobu, that's right. The name clicked into Hotaru's mind, and she nodded. "That's okay. This is going to cause some excitement."  
  
"You know this Ranma?" Shinobu asked, her eyes still down on the ground. Hotaru paused a moment before answering.  
  
"I've... met him."  
  
"He sounds like the monster Narusegawa-sempai makes my Keitaro-sempai out to be." Another blush. Wow, this girl had it down good.  
  
"Ranma isn't a monster," Hotaru replied. "He's... Nabiki-san is a little angry at him. You didn't notice she's telling different stories to different people?"  
  
Shinobu nodded her head. "He still sounds worse than my sempai."  
  
"He's..." Now, how exactly could Hotaru defend her own "sempai" without landing herself in it? She knew for a fact her Ranma was better than Keitaro... she'd seen them both, she'd fought against both - and in fighting, you found out more about the person than even a thousand hours of talking. Why? You saw how they attacked problems, how they got past defeats, all masks ripped away by fury, when one rarely had time to think - let alone feel. But Ranma did both in his fighting. Hotaru knew him to be a careful thinker - although he didn't like to show it - and a very careful strategician. He'd probably approach love-making the same way, she thought.  
  
That brought that blush she'd learnt to cultivate to her cheeks unaided. Deeper than usual, too. Hotaru ducked her head. Shinobu caught it.  
  
"You know him?"  
  
"I've... seen him in action." Boy, had she ever. And he looked so cute in that little fuku... She found herself wondering if she could convince him to wear it *without* her having to douse him in cold water first...?  
  
"Ah." A pause. Then, a little more forceful, "My Keitaro-sempai is still better."  
  
Obviously an addled, addicted brain, Hotaru decided, and merely nodded in response. The conversation was getting weird, and Hotaru didn't feel she could safely argue Ranma's merits without (a) letting on she knew him rather well, (b) letting on they were snuggling on a common occurance (starting up again after a short break), and (c) that she was working to contain Nabiki Tendo here. As long as she didn't turn up at the Ai Sou again any time soon... the longer Ranma had away from this crazy place, the better. The more he would mature and move away from here.  
  
Shinobu waved, made some goodbye, then stepped after Kaolla Su. Hotaru watched her leave, then turned, and started telling the people of the school what Nabiki Tendo wanted them to know. Of course, she had a stop to make along the way...  
  
******  
  
"Ah. Ranma." Kasumi's face was as cheerful as ever, but her voice... well, that sounded normal, although there was this underlying tone of ice that promised (or threatened) much in there Ranma didn't like. He'd remembered Nabiki's threat from the time she had come to see him, just after he'd broken up with Akane. No, he didn't want to face Kasumi mad.  
  
Anyone that self-assured just *had* to be a badass.  
  
She stepped aside from the doorway, and gestured inside. There was something missing... Ranma realised after a moment, with a start, what it was... the steady thok-thok-thok of the Go board. And there it was, on the garden's verandah, a game in progress. Not knowing how else to start off conversation, Ranma lifted his hand behind his head defensively, and gave a nervous chuckle. "I guess Happosai must have really scared them, huh, Kasumi?"  
  
"He did, Ranma." There was the sound of Kasumi drying her hands in her apron, and when Ranma turned around, she was smiling, head tilted to one side, hands clasped in front of her hips. "So, what are you here for today?"  
  
That sounded odd, even for Kasumi. "Uh..." He remembered, and pulled off his backpack. His earnings, to pay for the repair of the dojo, which because of the Akane and Nabiki incidents, he hadn't felt right about dropping by to give. So he'd picked a time when both Akane and Nabiki would be gone to stop by.  
  
Well, in part.  
  
"The money, Kasumi. For the repairs. I'd have brought it back earlier, but, uh... you know..." His voice trailed off under the silent deadly onslaught of smiles from the elder Tendo sister. He held the backpack out mutely.  
  
Kasumi took it, weighed it in her hands without once opening her eyes to check. "Feels heavier than it should. Does this mean you're coming back to the dojo now?"  
  
Ranma shook his head, not trusting himself to speak. When it was clear Kasumi expected something, he replied, "Naah... I've gotta see this job through."  
  
"You've got other duties to perform, too," Kasumi reminded him, opening his eyes. "And honour demands duty must be obliged." Now that sounded like a threat.  
  
"Kasumi..." Ranma started, not knowing where to go with it.  
  
"When will you be fulfilling your duties to your family, Ranma Saotome?" If not a threat, then promise of one. "You have duty to this family now, too."  
  
Yep. Threat.  
  
Ranma shook his head, and stepped back. "No, Kasumi."  
  
"No? You would abandon your personal and family honour so easily?" She drew her head upright now, still smiling. But Kasumi's eyes had long-since stopped smiling. It frightened Ranma a little. But this had to be booted around sometime.  
  
"It means a lot to me. That's why the backpack's so heavy. All the money I'd have earnt with this job? It's in there." He nodded at it. "Why? I'm buying my way out of the engagement. I don't want this life anymore. I'm workin' to change it. My honour might be tarnished... but that I can recover. My personal integrity... has to remain intact. I never agreed to this engagement - that's Pop's idea. That should be enough money to pay your family for the burden I've been, and enough for a dowry or somethin' for Akane. Restitution anyways. I will always consider Akane a friend. And I'll never stop liking her... but I can never love her, Kasumi. I don't mind explaining I got bruises from training... but from my *fiance*?" He shook his head.  
  
"So, you're leaving us, then."  
  
He nodded at the backpack. "That's plenty of money. Pops can make his own restitution to your family for his burden on you. I don't want to be bothered again. Shampoo... found out what happens when the people I live with get riled. And they're protective. I don't want anyone getting hurt because of me and because they were too stupid to stay away."  
  
"Is that all?" Kasumi asked when Ranma fell silent.  
  
"No. Not all. Kasumi -" He bit the inside of his lip as he thought how best to say this. "Kasumi, tell Akane that when she grows up a bit, I'd be glad to call her a friend. Until then... tell her to get over me. I'm worthless, bought out of our engagement to get our fathers off my back, whatever. Tell the truth or lies, in the end it won't matter. Tell her to get on with her life."  
  
Kasumi nodded, her eyes dark and hooded. For a moment, Ranma thought he saw a flash in there, and an ice chill ran up his spine. He wanted to flee the garden, jump the walls and never come back. But the eldest daughter of Soun Tendo stepped back into the house by the lounge sliding doors, and nodded. She spoke quietly. "I have yet to decide how to feel here, Ranma. You did hurt my little sister. I... respect your reasons for doing so, respect the ways in which you've tried to atoned. But I might not respect you anymore for this. You hurt my sister." With that, she nodded again, in dismissal this time, and pulled the door shut. Ranma felt a trickle of sweat roll down his spine, following the chill. And right then, he decided to get out of the yard, away from the house, before that door could open again.  
  
Kasumi scared him.  
  
From above, tear-stained eyes watched him leave from behind a bedroom window. Kind of angry, tear-stained eyes. Being dumped for a younger model wasn't quite how Akane would have liked their relationship to end. And she was rather angry.  
  
******  
  
"Tatewaki Kuno."  
  
Kuno knealt on the ground. "Yes, my cosmic pan-dimensional magical goddess, I hear your every utterance and obey!" He gave a laugh, to his ears sounding heroic - to everyone else's, sounding slightly deranged.  
  
Hotaru sighed, looked around, then grabbed the kneeling Kuno's ear and dragged him off into an empty classroom. "I've told you not to call me that when I'm dressed like this!"  
  
"Ah, but your fair interstellar beauty shines through any paltry human disguise, my lady! How may I escape the brilliance of your presence when -"  
  
"You want me to transform."  
  
Kuno nodded, heroically, manfully, unabashed. "Yes, it would please me no end, knowing I was being addressed by a true goddess, rather than her human skin."  
  
That sounded disturbing, but Hotaru knew how Kuno's hormones... well, what passed for his mind, worked. Kind of. For some reason known only to him, he couldn't keep his eyes off her cleavage. Hotaru inwardly shrugged. If it got his attention, it worked. Did that make her evil? Maybe just a *little* bit. At least Ranma would never know. "Saturn planet power make-up," she muttered, and she flared up into the guise of Sailor Saturn. "Tatewaki Kuno -" He liked it when she addressed him by name - it gave him a kick or something, knowing a great power was interested in his service. True to form, while his eyes were meeting hers, they were threatening to drop downwards.  
  
One of these days, Saturn was going to have a nice talk with whomever had had the idea to give the uniforms of the senshi such short mini-skirts.  
  
"Tatewako Kuno, you have been selected by Sailor Saturn, most powerful of the Outer Senshi and second in strength only to the Moon Princess, for a dangerous mission. You are to protect Ranma Saotome's life with your own if necessary against the evil machinations of Nabiki Tendo." Damn, but that was easy to say. If Saturn wasn't careful, she could very easily get the hang of speaking like Kuno.  
  
It was something she'd have to watch.  
  
Kuno bridled at the thought of having to help Ranma, and his eyes now did lock onto Saturn's, hatred burning there. Nor just hatred by itself. There was loathing there, fear, sadness. Behind his seeming madness. But was it directed at Ranma? No, it was something internal, that he was fighting against. Somethingfrom his own past, she pondered, that Ranma reminded him of? But what? Ranma, according to Kuno, held against her will a beautiful pig-tailed goddess - Ranma's female form that Hotaru had known about for a long time now. So could it be something to do with that? She didn't know. But it would be interesting to find out.  
  
Kuno's eyes returned to what passed for normal for him, and he nodded, then bowed deeply. "This, I shall do and cherish carrying out your word, my planet-sized goddess."  
  
Saturn nodded, and let her transformation slip from her, returning to her Furinkan uniform. Kuno bowed again, and left. Hotaru frowned, then looked after Kuno's departing form. Did he just call her fat?  
  
******  
  
Ranma made it to the school not long after the lunch bell had rung. Students were out in the front courtyard, idling, standing up against trees and the wall. Sitting on the stairs, the footpath, and the grassed area to either side. Not... completely unusual, but usually it signified something that Nabiki had set up - some great new bet or something.  
  
The doors to the school opened, and Nabiki stepped out. "Oh, Ranma! What a surprise. I'd have never expected you to appear here again, not after what you did."  
  
Ah. So that was what this was about. He was most likely the bet. Or event. Or something. Anything could be crawling around in the money-hungry parts of Nabiki Tendo's mind. It involved him, that he could be sure of.  
  
"Yes, I broke off the engagement," Ranma confirmed, loudly enough for everyone assembled to hear. "Anyone wanna make something of it?" He glared around, and there were lots of angry growls and stares - but everyone remembered Ranma could *fight*. He could fight monsters and demons, and high school kids just didn't cut it anymore. He returned his gaze to Nabiki. "So what's this about?"  
  
"Why'd you come back, Ranma?"  
  
"To pay Kasumi for the damages Pop caused. And to pay off the engagement. Akane's officially a free woman now. With a nice dowry, or compensation, or whatever your family wanna call it."  
  
His stance directly challenged Nabiki's. But she felt she still had the upper hand here. She played her next card. "So, you think you can just ignore my family's honour, and my sister's, and dump her whenever you want?"  
  
"If we're going to talk about honour, how honourable is it to suffer violence in silence? I'm too nice to hit Akane back, Nabiki: you know that." Tit for tat. Nabiki frowned. He wasn't taking the bait as fast as she thought.  
  
"Still, her honour remains tarnished at your hands. And there are some people who don't agree with that."  
  
"Are you challenging me, Nabiki?"  
  
"I'm not." Nabiki tossed her head over towards the edge of the courtyard. Students parted like the Red Sea, and there was Kuno, standing in a relaxed position with his bokken, glaring at Ranma. "They are... oh, where the HELL is Ryoga?" Someone whispered in her ear, and she sighed. "He is. Kuno-baby?"  
  
Kuno stared at Ranma some more, and was silent for a full thirty seconds. Then he began a slow stride from his position to stand barely two metres from Ranma. Ranma didn't react. He waited for action from Kuno.  
  
Kuno's actions surprised him. "I cannot act in such a case, Nabiki Tendo," he replied, quiet, but his voice carrying to Nabiki's position. She was surprised. "For he, while he may be an evil sorceror... is under my... protection." He glanced back at Ranma, who was easily equally surprised as Nabiki. "I'm on a mission from a goddess."  
  
Which Ranma thought was weird, but not as weird as some things Kuno had said. There was usually a grain of truth in the things he carried on about, so while Ranma listened to Nabiki, he let his body relax, and reached out to feel battle auras.  
  
"What? Kuno! How COULD you?" Nabiki was flabergasted, and lost for intelligent conversation and planning. "Akane is hurt! Akane -"  
  
"The Blue Thunder of Furinkan High has it on the best authority that -"  
  
"He *DUMPED* her! How can you forgive that?"  
  
"That... merely gives her a chance to date the great Tatewaki -"  
  
Nabiki gaped as Kuno continued. Who was this guy, what had he done with the real Kuno? No matter. She did have one more trick up her sleeve. Cologne had talked to her several weeks before about Shampoo's encounter at Ranma's hands... that he did live with powerful women who guarded his safety closely. And she'd turned up something that *might* help. But the original lore had been passed down verbally, and by the time it was in print form, it had diluted a little, and the effects hadn't been deemed of import enough to be noted. So she stalked down to Ranma, pushed Kuno aside to get to him, lifted a clenched fist.  
  
Opened it. Blew on her palm.  
  
Glittering particles blew at Ranma, and while he jumped back quickly, some were inhaled before he could do anything. But it did nothing to him immediately, and he calmed down a little. "This isn't getting you over this, Nabiki. I'll return when you've calmed down a little." He turned to Kuno. "Great seeing you again. And... thanks."  
  
Kuno nodded to Ranma gravely. "Thank the goddess. Were it not for her intervention, I might be tempted to take the middle Tendo sister up on her offer. Had the oldest made it..."  
  
"Yeah, I know," Ranma replied, before giving Kuno a nod of thanks and leaving. Time for home, he felt. And he had a long walk ahead of him...  
  
  
SAILOR MOON SAYS:  
  
Another one that's taken a while to write. Hope it comes out fine. Dunno why Kuno's the way he is - whether other fan fic authors have tried explaining it or not, or whatever has been said about it. But, well, a thought struck me while writing this. It won't resurface now, but will come back to it, definitely. It would certainly explain a lot.  
  
I hope this is up to the standard being expected.... if not, complain, let me know ;) Rant, rave, slip some of that evil constructive criticism in while you're doing so.  
  
The title referred to the fact that there's no going back now. Ranma's chosen his path for sure. He can't return. He's left the door open for others to come into his life, but he won't be going back to his old life - you can never go back.  
  
Heh. Kasumi's creepy. I've always found her creepy to write for. Why? I dunno. *no one* can be that happy and blase about things all the time. It has to hide something. But what?  
  
Anyways, next time on Truth: blank space here. Anyone got any ideas? New monster alert. Old monster alert. Natsumi caught with her pants down.  
  
Geeze, what *would* Ranma look like in that fuku... man, I'm getting some quite frankly sick ideas here... I'm scared, hold me? 


	22. Truth - Chapter 21

DISCLAIMER: Relatively standard stuff. Existing characters are properties of the people who made them up. Mitsuki, and several other characters are mine, and so's the story, hence ownership and copyright of them belongs to me. Contact me at misato_98@yahoo.com if you want permission to use anything I've written for whatnot purposes.  
  
  
  
TRUTH  
  
by  
  
Raymond Cooper  
  
Chapter 21  
  
** The Truth **  
  
  
Ranma stood in the middle of pitch-black monsters, piled up in a small mountain under his feet. He felt a soft breeze flutter his fuku... ahh. He'd been helping the senshi again. It was fun. But they required him to wear that damned fuku... rather, Hotaru did, and she didn't want anyone knowing that Ranma could help them, almost on their level.  
  
If anything, that could cause more problems than were already being caused. Or something. Sailor Saturn wasn't the easiest person to fathom. Ranma knew she was hiding something, about her school, he felt, but wasn't going to pry. There hadn't been any problems there, but every so often, while they were training or watching TV, eating dinner or any of a million other things... he felt her eyes turn to him, gauge him, deep and unreadable.  
  
She had him in his girl form, as usual when fighting monsters. And that was why he was wearing the fuku.  
  
Although, behind him, Sailor Moon snickered.  
  
Ranma turned, frowning. What was she laughing at? Then he realised the other senshi were stifling giggles as well, and Venus was straight-out pointing. Mercury had a digital camera and was taking pictures.  
  
Ranma looked down.  
  
He wasn't in his female form.  
  
Oh dear.  
  
******  
  
Nice way to wake up from a completely restless night.  
  
******  
  
Ranma opened the fridge door, squinting at the onslaught of light on his eyes. What could he eat? What could he drink? What could he do to get back to sleep? Something had to be done. Or needed doing. Or something.  
  
Ranma couldn't sleep. And after that last dream... well, that was one of the worst of the night, but it wasn't as bad in some ways as others. He'd already seen Akane rip Hotaru apart... and then in the next dream, watch Hotaru tear Akane limb from limb. Ouch.  
  
Maybe his talk with Kasumi hadn't gone as well as he'd thought. Maybe there was some underlying threat, some curse, that the eldest Tendo sister had placed on him with him unawares, when he'd confronted her the day before, paying off his engagement.  
  
Okay. Maybe it was a reflection of the fact Ranma was now broke. All the money he'd received and would receive from managing the dorm for the year was now gone. He couldn't afford anything. Would not be able to afford anything for a while.  
  
What ways were there around that?  
  
He had made a lot of money from this job - although it was now all gone. He needed to think of ways to bolster his cash reserves. And quickly.  
  
That still didn't make him feel any better, didn't make him feel safe and secure enough to go back to sleep.  
  
And when the pair of arms wrapped around his waist from behind, he jumped.  
  
******  
  
After guiding the sleep-walking Usagi back to her room, and reassuring her once more that he wasn't her Mamo-chan, he found himself on the roof. It would be dawn in a few hours. Time for a training session. And Ranma needed to know what was going on in his mind.  
  
Perhaps it was whatever powder Nabiki had blown at him? It was very likely that was from Cologne, and that meant trouble. Ranma felt he might have to go on a quick retreat, find out if he was about to start growing a new set of arms, or lose his curse - or gain it permanently. Find out what the powder would do, anyway. He wasn't sure what it did, and that was worrying.  
  
Maybe it was responsible for his bad dreams.  
  
He crossed his legs, leaned back, tried his best to clear his mind. Meditated for a time. He sucked in a breath -  
  
******  
  
- and found himself in darkness.  
  
There was a woman here. Well, a teenaged girl, anyway. She looked familiar.  
  
It only took Ranma an instant to recognise her as one of the generals of whatever monster was behind the recent attacks. They'd seen each other several times by now. Ranma stared for but a moment, then flipped up into a combat stance.  
  
The girl eyed him curiously.  
  
"You know I'm dead," she said, conversationally.  
  
"Dead?"  
  
"I'm just an idea. A memory in the back of the ether," the girl continued.  
  
"What... what... huh?"  
  
The girl smiled, stood up herself. "You don't know how long I've waited for someone to arrive."  
  
"You're an evil monster," Ranma countered, not dropping his stance.  
  
"We're all evil monsters down here... Ranma." The girl closed her eyes as she spoke his name. She'd paused, as if looking into his head. That was curious. She was curious. And unafraid of him.  
  
"How do you know my name?" he demanded.  
  
"Don't you know? You're still sitting cross-legged on that roof, Ranma. You're walking free with your mind. You're in what used to be my mind." Natsumi's eyes opened. "That's why I'm just an idea now. I'm a figment of memory. Something evil stole my body. Consumed my soul."  
  
"I... I didn't know."  
  
"Of course you wouldn't! You're not even fighting a war of your own. You're fighting... Hotaru's war. For her. Because you think she's right."  
  
"She is. I know her. She's honest. Pure. Right."  
  
"This is true. And so am I."  
  
"You're a monster." Ranma felt a curious sense of unreality wash over him. Natsumi chuckled.  
  
"I'm not a monster. I wanted help in my life. Someone to watch over me. But my sister couldn't always be there. So someone else gave me power to look after my life. I didn't have a choice. And it didn't give me power. I was given to the power. I could never control it. It controlled me."  
  
"Power does that."  
  
"As yours does."  
  
"My power doesn't control me!" he retorted hotly.  
  
"But it does. Power corrupts. It corrupts us all, Ranma." She walked around him, watching him curiously. "Did I want it? No. Can I now live without it? No."  
  
"That's your problem."  
  
Her eyes flashed. "It's your problem, too."  
  
"How do you figure that?"  
  
"This war won't be over until no one wants power. But everyone wants power of some kind. To be smarter, stronger, faster, funnier, sexier. We all want something. What do you want?"  
  
"I want to go back to my body and live my life!"  
  
"You can do that already. But the power of your mind isn't ready to let you go yet. Do you know why you're not sleeping yet?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Interesting. The answer is right in front of you. Yet you refuse to see it."  
  
"Your power is evil!"  
  
"And so is yours. You hurt people with it, as do I."  
  
"I do not!"  
  
"Tatewaki Kuno never felt the impact of your fists? Ryoga Hibiki never died of a thousand broken hearts whenever you spoke with Akane Tendo? Nabiki Tendo never cried herself to sleep on the few occasions you saw through her money-making efforts? Really, Ranma Saotome, you really should stop with this self-delusion."  
  
"This whole place is a self-delusion! I'm not seeing this! You're not really here! I'm just sleep deprived!"  
  
"Maybe so, but until you recognise a few home truths, Ranma, you will never be able to go home again."  
  
"I'm not going home!"  
  
Natsumi sighed, and shook her head. "No. How silly of me. Of course you're not. Because you don't know where home really is, Ranma."  
  
"I live -"  
  
"No, you don't." She paused, turned large, sad eyes up towards Ranma. "Find the truth of the situation. Become a real person, not just a shadow of one. Please. Don't let the power consume you like it did me and so many others."  
  
******  
  
And just like that, Ranma blinked, opened his eyes. He was still on the roof, and the distant horizon started glowing, showing the efforts of the sun trying to climb into the skies above for the day ahead.  
  
That dream - if that was what it was - was disturbing. But what was she referring to? If she was indeed referring to anything. Maybe it would come. Maybe it was a sign of his own subconscious thoughts. Who knows?  
  
Below him, the front door slid open, and Hotaru stepped out in her training gi, followed by Minako, Rei, and Makoto. They chatted lightly, tiredly for a moment, as they found places to lay towels and kick off slippers, then moved into position as Ranma jumped down from the roof, ready to teach for the morning.  
  
******  
  
Inside, at the kitchen table, Mitsuki sighed, pouring spoon after spoon of sugar onto a bowl of rice bubbles. Oh yeah, exciting times. She felt she should be out there, but still felt a huge burning shame deep down inside for what she'd done to one of her sensei's former friends.  
  
Never mind that said former friend would have tried to do the same thing to her, given half a chance.  
  
She looked up as Usagi walked into the kitchen, frowning. "Morning," she said to the Way Outer senshi sitting at the table already. "I had the strangest dream last night," Usagi continued, without waiting for a response. Typical Usagi.  
  
"I dreamt that Mamo-chan was here, poking around in our fridge, during the night. Then he took me back to bed, got all embarrassed when I kissed him and tried to rip his clothes off." Usagi stared at a spot on the fridge door for a moment. "He ran screaming he wasn't Mamoru when I took my shirt off."  
  
"Sure you weren't sleep-walking?"  
  
"Oh, I never sleep walk," Usagi said.  
  
"And if you did start sleep-walking," Mitsuki continued blithely, a smirk beginning to form on her face, "which man in this dorm would you have confused with Mamoru?"  
  
The smirk grew wilder as Usagi considered that and blushed. "ItwasadreamandIdon'tsleepwalk," she hurried out, then ran out of the kitchen, redder than a beetroot.  
  
That was fun. It put Mitsuki in a slightly happie frame of mind, anyway.  
  
And now she was alone again, Mitsuki pulled out two bottles from a pocket, and looked at them. Take one of each at mealtimes. This was a mealtime. So she uncapped the bottle, and shook out one of each into the palm of her hand.  
  
The voices weren't as bad today. They hadn't been bad for a while. In fact, they'd gone very, very quiet when she'd hurt Ranma's friend. And the only one that didn't go very quiet told her how much of a bad person she was and just how much work she'd have to do to make it up to him.  
  
That voice was her conscience. At least, that was how she thought of it. It was always morally right - some personality other than herself that appeared to have her best interests (and the interests of others) at heart.  
  
Right now it was telling her, no matter how quiet her brain was, TAKE. THE. DAMN. PILLS.  
  
She popped them, washed them down right away. A few minutes, and her brain would calm down a little.  
  
Meanwhile, she'd continue piling the sugar on to her breakfast.  
  
******  
  
The girls had gone. Ranma was left alone, and was now working on some maintenance around the dorm. Hmm. That had been a weird dream - or vision, though he doubted it was one - that he'd had earlier. And even if it wasn't a vision, well, it could have been his subconscious trying to tell him something. But what?  
  
It was weird, anyway. He couldn't think what it spoke of, so lost himself in hammering down shingles.  
  
******  
  
He wasn't going to be a monster. That was final.  
  
******  
  
Therefore, power couldn't consume him. That was final.  
  
******  
  
But what kind of power was she referring to? Whatever made the monsters in the first place? Or something else? Ranma shook his head. He didn't know. But his dream seemed fairly insistant that he give this all some thought.  
  
He could do that while having lunch, he realised, seeing the time. Time had gotten away from him. He'd shingled half the roof.  
  
Lunch was easy. Half a dozen sandwiches, in front of the television. But try as hard as he might, no amount of Car Robots reruns would jolt his mind into gear. Oh well. Maybe it would make sense some other time.  
  
******  
  
The monster Natsumi woke from a deep but restless slumber, irritated at something that had been gnawing at her for a while now. She couldn't place it, all she knew was that she often had the feeling of being watched. Maybe something inside. Maybe something still existed of the host body that her core energy inhabited. Several maybes. Natsumi didn't like maybes. They were anathema to her. She liked absolutes, things she could grab in her hands, hold, twist its neck if need be. She hadn't always been like that, to that extent, but now she had the capabilities to do as she pleased, she was.  
  
Time was everything. Time was important. Especially to the Master.  
  
Even as she thought his title, she felt his call. His urge.  
  
She was satisfied he'd called her instead of Umiko. He wouldn't need a nurse much longer. His time was fast approaching.  
  
As she stepped into his room, she could tell it would be sooner than she had originally thought. Umiko was nowhere to be seen, strangely enough. She usually never strayed further than a few steps from the Master's side. The Master was looking slightly larger than usual, blacker, if possible. His gloss was beginning to lose its shine, and his eyes were dimmed.  
  
If Natsumi didn't know better, she would say he was sick, dying. And yet, the Master was sick, and was dying.  
  
She knelt before him. His need was communicated to her, and she looked up through her VR goggles. "Yes, Master. It is time. I will assemble the troops."  
  
Natsumi left the room. Behind her, the Master ambled slowly towards a window, looking out. Soon.  
  
Soon it would be time.  
  
******  
  
Mitsuki looked down at her books. Gah. She knew at least one horrible thing about the pills - they stopped her brain from being able to process information as fast as it used to. Even with the voices quiet, and the occasional shifts in personalities, she'd been able to at least keep a coherent train of thought going at some speed. But with her brain tied down by the medication... Well, things just went a little slower than usual.  
  
The university library was quiet. But what did one expect when librarians were shushing everyone in sight?  
  
Still, surely it shouldn't be this quiet?  
  
Something prickled on the back of her neck. She knew what that sensation was. Monsters. Dark Kingdom creatures, prowling nearby.  
  
Ice ran down her spine. Getting closer. None of the other senshi around. But then, they hadn't been asking for her help of late, or if they did, they had her guarded by Saturn and Jupiter in case she followed her voices again, or let one out. But there were no other senshi around. And there was a loud crash, the sounds of splintering wood impacting on soft fleshy bodies, and a low growl, from the end of one of the rows. She watched, silently, as one of the massive university bookcases started falling to one side, and hit the wall. Two people ran screaming from the next row over, although one was cut down by a blast of purple energy from behind him. His legs continued to run for a few moments, his head watching from his torso several metres back with stupid amazement.  
  
Conscience spoke up. Mitsuki pushed the chair she was sitting in back, but it was Sailor Nemesis who stood up, fists curling. She leapt for the aisle, and at the other end, saw four monsters. Definitely Dark Kingdom. Three were black scaly things that looked more like giant, extremely mobile iguanas than anything else, and the fourth looked like a slightly decomposing corpse, flesh tearing off to reveal a skeleton underneath. Nemesis noted the power burning in that one's eyes, and realised that the flesh and blood was all that was left of the original person - this monster *was* a skeleton.  
  
It pointed at her, and the three iguanas leapt for her.  
  
She crossed her hands.  
  
"NEMESIS BREAKUP PATTERN!"  
  
******  
  
Even Usagi knew something was up when the library exploded.  
  
Well, to be fair to Nemesis, only part of it exploded, and the people who were in that part were dead already - but neither of them knew that.  
  
Usagi's modern history class vacated their seats immediately for good positions at the windows - which shattered as the shockwave from the blast hit, glass lacerating exposed pieces of flesh on the students and lecturer.  
  
That was when Usagi decided it best to make a run for the library. No one was watching, so she transformed into Sailor Moon in the corridor, and headed for the devastation.  
  
******  
  
She was met moments later by the other senshi, apart from Saturn. Sailor Moon eyed them with caution. "I think our older friend has gone crazy again," she said, gesturing at the hole, and the shouted attacks and occasional pulse of light and shower of debris from another energy blast.  
  
Venus pouted. "I don't think we should count that possibility as a certainty just yet," she remarked a little acidly.  
  
Jupiter looked ready to say something else, but Sailor Moon cut her off. "We've got a senshi to find, and find out what the heck she's doing in there."  
  
There was a voice from behind them. "Check the rubble for survivors."  
  
Sailor Moon turned; it was the red-haired girl in the fuku who Saturn seemed to bring along with her half the time when fighting monsters. Sailor Moon had come to the conclusion there was no way she was a senshi, but seeing as her powers seemed very similar to Ranma's (or so she was told) she suspected they'd had a shared teacher at some point in their past or something. And the advice was sound. Combined, both thoughts led Sailor Moon to nod. "Do that, too," she said to the senshi. The others nodded, and bounded into the rubble, pulling huge wooden beams up to check under them as they moved closer to Nemesis' point.  
  
******  
  
'Why the heck am I wearing this thing again?' Ranma thought to himself as he bounded towards the multiple points of energy he could feel. As he passed through the wreckage, he felt fading points of ki, mixed with the almost tangible ectoplasmic stench he associated with these Dark Kingdom monsters. They'd killed a lot of people. Nemesis hadn't, yet, as far as he could tell.  
  
He was ahead of the senshi when he arrived over the point of Nemesis' energy signature, he found he couldn't see them. They were under the rubble.  
  
With a quick blast of ki channelled through his fingers, he blasted a person-sized hole, and dropped through. He landed lightly on the ground, disconcerted that the fuku's skirt flew up around his stomach. 'Note to self,' he reminded himself, 'sew that damned thing down.' At least he wasn't in Nerima anymore... he'd have had half the district trying to peer up it.  
  
He noted four monsters taking turns at attacking Nemesis. She fought aggressively, energy blasts flying from her hands, snap punches and kicks with enough force to shatter reinforced armour. No effect. Everything bounced off their armour. Except for one monster, that kind of looked similar to a zombie. That dodged everything that Nemesis was throwing at him. He also noted she wasn't using half the skills he'd taught her for the months she'd trained under him. her speed wasn't what it should be - she was concentrating on kicks and punches fast enough that she could make use of her senshi super-human strength and yet move into position in time to counter the next.  
  
She could be doing that much faster if she didn't rely on that factor of her biology. Ranma had noted that about all the senshi, although Rei and Hotaru seemed to be catching on slowly.  
  
Nemesis gave him a quick glance as he landed, and nodded. She hadn't noted the red-haired girl give her much attention the last month or so, since her 'accident' with Ranma's friend, but didn't attach any signifigance to that. She also didn't know Ranma was cursed, for which Ranma felt eternally grateful - knowing *one* of the senshi knew he spent some of his time in women's clothing was more than enough. Kami knew Hotaru gave him enough teasing over that in private.  
  
While he still felt uneasy around Nemesis, he no longer felt the anger towards her he once did. And Hotaru hadn't even had to try and work her subtle manipulations on him - in fact, she'd left him to come to terms with it himself, and had made sure the other girls had, too. Which was good. He wouldn't feel safe around Mitsuki for a long time, but he could work with her now.  
  
He nodded at the zombie-monster. "He's mine," he said out loud. Nemesis nodded briefly, all the attention she could spare him before the monsters came at her again.  
  
The zombie seemed to note Ranma's interest in him, and turned to face the new arrival. There was a moment's hesitation, then the zombie leaped at him, throwing a reverse spinning roundhouse kick at Ranma's midsection. Ranma flared his battle aura to life, and blasted ki energy out through it, clenching fists and blocking at speeds Nemesis wasn't able to match. The kick impacted, then bounced off, and Ranma followed through with a spinning crescent moon, taking a huge chunk of flesh out of the monster's neck.  
  
It responded with a flurry of punches aimed to disable Ranma, but which the martial artist matched with blocks and the occasional jab of his own. He was still evaluating the threat posed by the zombie and the moves it was capable of. When he'd tired of this, he cut lose with a katsu tenshin amagurriken, shaking flesh off the zombie's torso in huge amounts. Several of the monster's ribs also cracked under the onslaught. The zombie was seemingly left open, but gave Ranma a devsastating kick to the stomach which got partially through Ranma's guard. He was winded, but had faced worse than this before.  
  
He noticed Nemesis finally dispatch one of the monsters with a richter wave right down it's throat. Summoning reserves of energy, Ranma began laying into the zombie's skull with another katsu tenshin amagurriken, finally feeling the thing start to give way under his blows. But while he was concentrating on putting this beast down fast, Ranma was still being attacked. Certainly, the attacks were slower now, weaker, but they still took their toll on him.  
  
This thing... it didn't look it, but it was stronger than most of the foes he usually faced. He'd been finding that more and more of late, when assisting the senshi. These monsters, Hotaru had said, got stronger and stronger the longer they existed. Perhaps, if one was strong enough to begin with, and lived long enough, it could become a god, Ranma had suggested, if their power grew like that. Hotaru had said nothing, but the dark look in her suddenly hooded eyes had suggested that he was right.  
  
His attention was narrowing now, consciousness tunneling. The zombie was weakened considerably now, but he was about to lose consciousness, and would then be open to anything. If he was going to finish this, he had to finish it now.  
  
He dredged up his last store of ki, focussing it into his fists. He brought both up, and ramed them down into the creature's skull. Bone splintered under his knuckles, soft tissue splattered up and coated his face. He opened his mouth.  
  
"Mouko Takabisha!"  
  
The zombie collapsed, but Ranma didn't notice, having passed out already. Its body decorated the walls, and caused a fatal distraction for another monster, who fell to an arctic ice wave that Nemesis, also injured in a number of places, rammed down its throat. She collapsed to her knees, just as the other senshi dropped in.  
  
The final monster was finished off quickly.  
  
Leaving the senshi standing around the unconscious girl in the fuku.  
  
"What do we do with her?" Mars asked.  
  
"Take her back to the dorm?" Mercury suggested. "Her energy levels are very low. She's recovering faster than a normal person, but she will be unconscious for some time. Perhaps Hotaru can do something for her?"  
  
Sailor Moon nodded. "We'll take her back to the dormitory. And... Nemesis... the people up there -"  
  
Ranma's eyes swam open for a moment. "Not... her." Mercury blinked in surprise, and went to make a comment, but the girl was out again. Jupiter made to pick her up, but Nemesis placed a hand on her arm.  
  
"Let me. I... I think I owe him this. And more."  
  
Jupiter eyed Sailor Moon, but the luna senshi just nodded silently. They departed, leaving the university authorities to explain the massed amounts of explosions, dozens dead, the library ruined, and teenaged girls in fukus flying about.  
  
******  
  
Ranma opened his eyes.  
  
"The power is consuming you."  
  
"I had to do that," he conceeded.  
  
Natsumi smiled. "We all did. At some point in our lives. There is always a point where we say, no more, this is where we draw the line. And we act then. But we ignore everything that came before. We ignore what made it a problem in the beginning. It's learning not to do that, not to make the problems, to fix them so everyone is happy before they begin, this is the strength of power that you should attain. Only a real person can do that. You've got some growing up to do."  
  
"I'm already grown up!"  
  
"That statement proves you haven't."  
  
"..."  
  
"Ranma. Find your own way in life. Don't let the power consume you. It's not the use of the power that's important. It's not the application. It's the not using it."  
  
"For a hallucination, you're being very forthcoming this time."  
  
Natsumi smiled again. "I want you to make sure you know there's a decision to be made."  
  
******  
  
He awoke again, in his female body this time. It was dark. Hotaru sat beside him, legs folded under her, hands in her lap. She looked worried. And while her voice was low, calm, collected, it also betrayed her worry and nervousness.  
  
"I wasn't sure you'd be all right."  
  
"You brought Shampoo back from the dead." Ranma's voice was raspy. He realised he was lying on his futon, in his normal clothing.  
  
Hotaru looked apologetic. "I had to tell the others, Ranma, about your curse. I'm sorry, but I needed to change your clothes, and explain where you were. I couldn't think of any other way. I had to tell the truth. Mitsuki... she knew, I think. I think she realised."  
  
"I think... the truth is the best thing anyone could have said."  
  
"They don't believe me."  
  
"If you hadn't seen me in that fountain, would you have believed me?"  
  
Hotaru shook her head.  
  
"So why would they?" Ranma struggled into an upright position. "If you told them, why am I still in my girl-form?"  
  
Hotaru shrugged. "Your strength is still low, sempai. You've been unconscious for a week... despite my best efforts. I didn't want to chance any more problems."  
  
"I must really have drained myself," he muttered to himself. Hotaru leaned over and kissed his cheek lightly.  
  
"I'll go let the others know you're awake." With that, Hotaru stood, and left the room.  
  
A moment later, Mitsuki crept inside the doorway, slid the door shut behind her. She stood there for a minute, just watching Ranma nervously. When Ranma didn't bite at her, she stepped forward a step or two, then halted. "Ranma..."  
  
"Mitsuki."  
  
"It is you. I... I thought your attacks weren't just similar." She hung her head, violet hair spilling over her eyes. "I know you probably won't believe me, but... I am very, *very* sorry about your friend." Ranma went to say something, but she waved him quiet. "Please. I've thought about this for a couple of months now. I've had time to think. To brood. I don't want to go off my pills, and to combat being able to shake off the effects, I'm taking higher doses. It might not be safe, but it's a lot safer than... than some of the personalities in my mind being let out. I can't make up for what I did, Ranma, but I want you to know, I'll do whatever I can to -"  
  
Ranma held up a hand. It shook from the effort, so weakened was he. "Mitsuki... I understand. Really. Your problem... must be great. I... haven't been a good... sensei by not... trying to help. I'll do my best." He wheezed, sucking in breath for saying so much.  
  
Mitsuki just stared, her mouth open. "Sen... sei?"  
  
"I promise... to try... and help... you." With that, his eyes closed, and he fell asleep again.  
  
Mitsuki continued to stare. Then she crossed the floor, bent down and hesitantly kissed his forehead, running a hand over Ranma's red hair. "Sensei. I'll make you proud." She turned and exited the room, leaving Ranma to his restful sleep.  
  
******  
  
Umiko sat off the Master's room. She knew Natsumi was scheming to replace her, as did the Master. She also knew things that Natsumi would never know. Like just who the stronger General was.  
  
She heard a noise from the Master's room, and hurried in. His form was now more paper-thin than ever. He almost looked as if he was badly-painted rice paper that had been outside for too long. His life was nearly over... and yet, it would begin.  
  
This was his crysalis stage. The next would be his adult form, as it were.  
  
Something from inside the Master punched at the drying skin, weakly, trying to tear it.  
  
Natsumi had been called to assemble the troops. Why? Because the Master needed protection. Protection through distraction. The only way. While Natsumi planned and plotted her attacks and schemed her backstabbing, the Master could mature.  
  
As he apparently had just finished. His form shuddered, and something within burst forth.  
  
"Umiko, my mother," the Master said, "How good it is to finally see you with my own two eyes."  
  
  
  
TO BE CONTINUED IN THE FOLLOW-UP SERIES "Love".  
  
SAILOR MOON SAYS:  
  
Gah. TAFE sucks. And not having work completed at the end of term sucks even more. Double gah. All that effort, for a fail. But it was my fault. I shouldn't get so stressed over things... when I get stressed, I can't do anything :P  
  
Like writing.  
  
Like writing this fic :)  
  
I am truly sorry to those of you who have emailed me, to be told, yeah, a week or so until the new chapter goes up! Well, I last said that two weeks ago. I actually started this chapter then, finished it tonight in a marathon effort (gotta love the flu, cancels writer's block from stress) and tied up everything for this section of the arc.  
  
Ranma and Mitsuki are talking again. The senshi will come back together a little. The Master's new form has been revealed (oh damn, you'll have to wait til the next chapter to see that;). Other things have been worked in and expanded upon.  
  
And the ultimate journey of the series as a whole has just been plotted, more so in the covert manner than the obvious. Heh.  
  
Anyway, this fic is finished now... so look for the follow-up series, Love, which should start hopefully in the next few days. It will be under the title Love, so look for it in the section you found Truth in :)  
  
As always, I'd love to hear comments on how you've liked or disliked this arc of the story. I've changed the email address in the disclaimer to misato_98@yahoo.com, cause I check that more often than I do my linksnet addy... just a note to those who like to email me :)  
  
I hope you enjoyed this arc... I've certainly enjoyed writing it, that's for sure.  
  
Raymond Cooper  
10:10PM, 28.11.01 


End file.
